ReviewBMJ open gastroenterology2025
Faecal occult blood testing: a review of its use and common misutilisation.
Review in BMJ open gastroenterology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Diagnostic Indications and Endoscopic Correlates of Fecal Occult Blood Testing in Hospitalized Patients.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Screening, Prognostic, and Predictive Molecular Tools for Colorectal Cancer: Recent Advances in the Classical Background.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide, with early detection being crucial for improving patient outcomes. While colonoscopy is the gold standard for CRC screening, stool-based tests such as guaiac-based faecal occult blood test and faecal immunochemical test offer non-invasive and cost-effective alternatives. These tests have proven value in the outpatient screening of asymptomatic, average-risk individuals; however, their frequent misuse in inpatient settings limits their diagnostic accuracy and utility. Inappropriate use of faecal occult blood tests (FOBTs) in hospitalised patients often results in false-positive or false-negative findings, leading to unnecessary diagnostic procedures, delayed treatment, increased healthcare costs and potential patient harm. Addressing this issue requires promoting adherence to guideline-based use of FOBT, alongside targeted provider education to reduce misuse, improve diagnostic precision and optimise patient care.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.