Abstract
This study was made to evaluate the significance of fecal occult blood test (RPHA method) in screening surgical patients for the presence of colorectal neoplasms. The subjects were inpatients scheduled for operation for extracolonic diseases.
From January 1990 to December 1991, 817 patients were admitted to our department and 599 had extracolonic diseases. Of the 599 patients, 434 (72%) had preoperative immunological fecal occult blood test of RPHA method. Twenty-eight (6.5%) patients showed positive, and among them, three had colorectal cancer and two, colonic polyp. The incidence of 0.50% of colorectal cancer in 599 patients with extracolonic diseases is higher than that reported for colorectal cancer screening in general population.
We conclude that as the risk of colorectal disease is considerably high among inpatients with other diseases, the fecal occult blood test screening should be performed routinely in these patients.
