FOBT

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Frontosa
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 10:08 am

FOBT

Postby Frontosa » Sat Feb 10, 2018 10:19 am

Hi
I am a new member here
58 year old male
I had a colonoscopy 6.5 years ago, and it was clean as a whistle as per the doctor
I do have some haemorrhoids which the doctor noted

Now flash forward to a few weeks ago where I did a FOBT and I received a call from the doctors office asking me to come in and see him, but there is no hurry to do so
Obviously I am very concerned, and I will see him on Monday
I am just beside myself now. I have always had good bowel movements up until last August when I had a slight bout with shingles (thought it was a mosquito bite) and the doctor prescribed Lyrica to avoid any further issues in that affected area.
Well that caused instant constipation and my bowel movements have not been the same since, and this is what prompted me to have a FOBT

I am just wondering how accurate these tests are even some words of support as I am completely worried about this

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susie0915
Posts: 945
Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2017 8:17 am
Facebook Username: Susan DeGrazia Hostetter
Location: Michigan

Re: FOBT

Postby susie0915 » Sat Feb 10, 2018 11:30 am

I did the test and blood was found and my doctor called and referred me to a gastroenterologist. I had seen some blood on my stool periodically for the few months before, but when I did the test there was no visible blood on my stool. The gastro said anytime there is blood a colonoscopy is warranted. I had one 5 years prior that was fine. During the colonoscopy the gastro found a 2cm rectal tumor that was stage 2. I would think if the doctor would've told you if blood was found and is recommending a colonoscopy. I was told the tumor was prob there 5 years and the previous colonoscopy couldn't see as it was too small or it began forming right after the colonoscopy. Hopefully it isn't anything serious since your doctor said no hurry.
58 yrs old Dx @ 55
5/15 DX T3N0MO
6/15 5 wks chemo/rad
7/15 sigmoidoscopy/only scar tissue left
8/15 PET scan NED
9/15 LAR
0/24 nodes
10/15 blockage. surgery,early ileo rev, c-diff inf :(
12/15 6 rds of xelox
5/16 CT lung scarring/inflammation
9/16 clear colonoscopy
4/17 C 4mm lung nod
10/17 pel/abd CT NED
11/17 CEA<.5
1/18 CT/Lung no change in 4mm nodule
5/18 CEA<.5, CT pel/abd/lung NED
11/18 CEA .6
5/19 CT NED, CEA <.5
10/19 Clear colonscopy
11/19 CEA <.5

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O Stoma Mia
Posts: 1709
Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2013 6:29 am
Location: On vacation. Off-line for now.

Re: FOBT

Postby O Stoma Mia » Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:40 pm

Frontosa wrote:... I am just wondering how accurate these tests are...

Here is some recent information on the accuracy of the gFOBT test. As you can see, this test is not perfect. A good test, in my opinion, would be one that has a sensitivity of around 95% while having a specificity of around 95%.

From 2016:
Accuracy of Screening Tests
...High-sensitivity gFOBT (Hemoccult SENSA; Beckman Coulter) has a sensitivity of 62% to 79% and a specificity of 87% to 96% for detecting colorectal cancer....

Ref: Lin JS, Piper M, Perdue LA, et al. Screening for Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Evidence Synthesis No. 135. AHRQ Publication No. 14-05203-EF-1. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; 2016

- - -
And from 2018:
...the study compared three fecal occult blood tests: InSure FIT, OC FIT-CHEK and Hemoccult II SENSA (a highly sensitive guaiac FOBT), in 1,006 asymptomatic patients, aged between 50 and 75 years, who also received a screening colonoscopy. The authors reported that “InSure FIT was statistically significantly more sensitive than both the OC FIT-CHECK and Hemoccult II SENSA.”

Ref: Pivotal study reports InSure® FIT™ offers superior sensitivity for colorectal cancer screening. InSure FIT more sensitive than OC FIT-CHEK and Hemoccult II SENSA for detecting advanced colorectal cancer

http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/Pivotal-study-reports-InSure-FIT-offers-superior-sensitivity-for-colorectal-cancer-screeningInSure-FIT-more-sensitive-than-OC-FIT-CHEK-and-Hemoccult-II-SENSA-for-detecting-advanced-colorectal-1014798213
Last edited by O Stoma Mia on Sun Feb 11, 2018 2:33 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Kick'nAssCancer'sAss
Posts: 248
Joined: Tue Feb 25, 2014 4:38 pm

Re: FOBT

Postby Kick'nAssCancer'sAss » Sat Feb 10, 2018 6:48 pm

My 2 cents

I had a negative FOBT and a year later was found to have a tennis ball size tumor which my surgeon said would of been there when I did the FOBT. My surgeon told me that he could send 100 patients with actual colon cancer to do the FOBT and 40 would test positive. The test is not very accurate and should not be relied on as the only screening tool for CCR.
53M Dx RC Halloween 2013
CT & BONE scan
MRI/T3N0M0 1 suspicious LN
5 wks chemo/rad
LAR open TME Feb 26/14
temp bag
0/24 nodes pCR/pathological
Folfox (8) Mar 28-Jul 4 /14
Aug/14 clear CT scan
Aug 27/14 reversal
Feb/15 clear scope
July/15 Feb/16 Feb/17 Feb/18 clear CT scans
Feb/18 clear scope
Sept 19 clear CT scan & DISCHARGED :P
Mar/23 clear scope
CEA 1.6 @ dx
1.6,1.4,1.7,2.4,2.9, 2.7 2.3 2.5 2.2 2.1 2.5 2.6 2.7
2.7 Sept 19
0-4 normal
https://kickingasscancersass.blogspot.com/

Frontosa
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 10:08 am

Re: FOBT

Postby Frontosa » Sat Feb 10, 2018 6:58 pm

thanks for the replies
whatever my doctor says on Monday, I will ask for a colonoscopy
I am due for one anyhow, as it is closing in on 7 years

I just dont get it though never had bowel issues until I took that friggin Lyrica...and all downhill from there
Oh well the waiting is the hardest part someone should write a song about that

Ceamy
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Feb 07, 2018 5:22 am

Re: FOBT

Postby Ceamy » Sun Feb 11, 2018 9:01 am

I’m new to this forum too and can relate only too well to you being worried.its difficult not to speculate (like me) when you don’t have much information. As you said waiting to find out is a difficult time but there is a wealth of support and very helpful information here as you will have seen. Good luck on Monday.

Frontosa
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 10:08 am

Re: FOBT

Postby Frontosa » Mon Feb 12, 2018 6:50 pm

Saw my doctor today and he said 2 of the 3 samples tested positive
He is not concerned and he said that 97% of FOBT tests that are positive come back negative for CC
Nevertheless, he is sending me for a colonoscopy as soon as one can be booked

I don't know. I am very concerned, yet he is not, but he qualifies it by saying that you can never be 100% sure, so we will see
I do also have haemorrhoids that act up sometime, so he said that could be the cause as well, but who knows


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