| Abstract: | Hemoccult testing was carried out in 100 patients who had previously undergone surgical resection for colorectal cancer. Of the 15 Hemoccult-positive patients detected, endoscopic examination revealed polypoid formations in six (one with invasive carcinoma) and local recurrent tumors in three. Eighteen polypoid lesions were endoscopically detected in 10 Hemoccult-negative patients. Patient acceptance was good (above 90%) for Hemoccult testing especially when compared to the significantly lower compliance to endoscopic examination (66% in Hemoccult-negative patients). The results suggest that a significant number of lesions may be missed if the Hemoccult test is heavily relied upon exclusively for follow-up of patients previously resected for colorectal cancer. |
