| [ Summary ] |
A new method of occult blood examination, using two stool samples from the same day, was introduced for the first time in Japan in Tottori Prefecture in 2003 and has been in use since then. The result of this new method was assessed in comparison to the previous one, in which two stools from different days were examined. The new method was superior to the previous one in the following aspects. First, the detection rate for colon cancer was higher. Secondly, the rate for early colon cancer was higher. Thirdly, the positive predictive values tended to be higher. Fourth, the rates of sample-registration were higher than with the previous method. The compliance of examinees improved as well. Fifth, the new method is expected to lead to an increase in the number of examinees, because it is simpler. The introduction of this new method will solve some troublesome matters such as preserving stool samples and preventing the decay of hemoglobin on the stool surface. Which takes place as time passes. Therefore, the new method for occult blood examination, using two stools from the same day, is simpler and much better than the previous one in terms of promoting the detection of colon cancer for colon cancer surveillances. |