Southern medical journal
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South. Med. J.
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Southern medical journal · Jul 2012
Meta Analysis Comparative StudyDigital rectal examination versus spontaneous passage of stool for fecal occult blood testing.
The diagnostic value of a positive fecal occult blood test (FOBT) at the time of digital rectal examination (DRE) is disputed despite being used commonly by a significant number of physicians. A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate FOBT by DRE for detecting neoplasia versus FOBT on stool passed spontaneously (SPS) in asymptomatic patients undergoing colorectal cancer screening. ⋯ DRE for FOBT appears to be less effective at detecting advanced adenomas as compared with SPS despite cancer detection being similar. FOBT by SPS appears to be statistically superior to FOBT by DRE.