Abstract
The new method of occult blood examination using two stools from the same day has been introduced for the first time in Japan in Tottori Prefecture in 2003, and has been used since then. The result of this new method was assessed in comparison with the previous one, in which two stools from different days were examined. The new method was superior to the previous one from the following aspects. First, the detection rate for colon cancer tended to be higher. Second, the rate of sample-registration was higher than for the previous method, and the compliance of the examinees improved. Third, 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 the troublesome matters, such as preserving stool samples and preventing the decay of hemoglobin (Hb) on the stool surface, which takes place as time passes. Therefore, the new method of occult blood examination using two stools from the same day is simpler and much better than the previous one, in the view of promoting the detection of colon cancer in colon cancer surveillances. However, these results are based on a short-term study (one year), and more data from many examinees need to accumulate before the validity of this new method can be properly assessed.
