Metrix BioMed Educates Over 850 Physicians On Clinical Effectiveness Of FIT Occult Blood Test

Online, March 31, 2011 (Newswire.com) - For the last three years Metrix BioMed and its founders have made one singular push - to educate referring physicians on the clinical efficacy of it novel FIT occult blood test. This March, that number closed in on 1000 physicians. One of the key clinical metrics was a well known study published by the American Society of Clinical Oncologists in December of 2010. It refers to the FIT test, distributed by Metrix BioMed et. al. and compares it to the current market status quo, the stool guiaic card, currently used in 8 of 10 physician offices.

The authors:( J. E. Schottinger, M. H. Kanter, A. T. Lee, S. Chang, R. Goldberg, V. T. Nagy; Kaiser Permanente, Pasadena, CA; Kaiser Permanente, Woodland Hill, CA; Kaiser Permanente, Huntington Beach, CA) state: A majority of age-appropriate U.S. adults fail to receive any screening for colorectal neoplasia, despite randomized trials demonstrating mortality benefit from early detection. Methods: 550 patients age 50-80 who were seen by primary care physicians for routine reasons, who were due for colorectal cancer screening, and who were undergoing a rectal exam for routine reasons were offered two methods of screening: a three slide gFOBT kit to complete at home from SPS and a one tube iFOBT sample obtained from the DRE. All patients with positive results were advised to have colonoscopy.

Results: 550 iFOBTs were collected (100% compliance) and 175 gFOBTs were returned (32% compliance). Of the tests completed, there was no difference in the positivity rate of the DRE vs. SPS obtained specimens (29/550 or 5% vs. 8/175 or 5%, respectively). Concordance of results: DRE- SPS -91%; DRE + SPS + 2%; Concordance 93%; DRE - SPS + 3%; DRE + SPS -4%. Of the patients who underwent colonoscopy, there were 2 patients with carcinoma, 1 with high- grade dysplasia, and 3 patients with advanced polyps (> 1 cm or villous adenomatous changes). Of these 6 patients, 5 were detected by iFOBT on DRE and 2 were detected by gFOBT returned from SPS. Four patients, including both cancers, would have been missed by relying on patient compliance with at-home testing with gFOBT. DRE would have missed only one of these 6 patients.

"The DRE did not increase the positivity rate compared to SPS and detected more clinically significant neoplasia due to a higher compliance rate." said Wade Rosenburg, quoting the author. "iFOBT testing on DRE offers significant advantages over testing SPS and should be considered for use in a colorectal cancer screening program," said Drew Wedemeyer of Metrix BioMed, also quoting the author.

For more information on ASC, visit www.asc.org. For more information on Metrix BioMed, visit www.metrixbiomed.com. For information on the FIT occult blood test, visit http://metrixbiomed.com/products/fit-occult-blood-test/