FECAL IMMUNOCHEMICAL TEST; FIT

FECAL IMMUNOCHEMICAL TEST (FIT) DETECTS HEMOGLOBIN IN STOOL USING ANTIBODIES SPECIFIC TO HUMAN HEMOGLOBIN. FIT HAS GAINED INTERNATIONAL ACCEPTANCE AS BEING THE WORTHY SUCCESSOR TO CONVENTIONAL GUAIAC-BASED FECAL OCCULT BLOOD TEST (GFOBT) FOR SCREENING COLORECTAL CANCER(CRC). IT IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMONLY DIAGNOSED CANCERS AND LEADING CAUSE OF CANCER-RELATED DEATHS. CRC ALMOST ALWAYS DEVELOPS FROM ADENOMATOUS POLYPS, PATIENTS MAY REMAIN ASYMPTOMATIC UNTIL THE CANCER PROGRESSES TO A FAIRLY ADVANCED STAGE. CONVENTIONAL OCCULT BLOOD TEST FOR CRC SCREENING UTILIZES GFOBT THAT IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO DIETARY INTERFERENCES AND HAS LIMITED SENSITIVITY FOR ADENOMATOUS POLYP (PRECURSORS FOR MOST OF THE CRC). AS A RESULT OF THE DIETARY RESTRICTIONS AND THE NEED FOR THREE DIFFERENT SAMPLES ON CONSECUTIVE DAYS, ADHERENCE RATES OF GFOBT SCREENING ARE GENERALLY POOR. FIT IS SPECIFIC FOR HUMAN HEMOGLOBIN THUS ELIMINATING THE NEED FOR DIETARY AND MEDICATION RESTRICTIONS, ALSO ONLY A SINGLE COLLECTION IS REQ