1.   Whether this approach offers advantages over faecal occult blood testing remains to be established.

2.   This is in keeping with large endoscopy studies showing that only rarely is there a gastroduodenal cause for positive faecal blood in patients on NSAIDs.

3.   Faecal occult blood testing is the only realistic method available today for periodic screening of people deemed to be at average risk of colorectal cancer.

4.   The lack of specificity of faecal occult blood testing also results in large numbers of unnecessary colonic evaluations, adding greatly to the cost of such programmes.

5.   This may explain the predominance of rectosigmoid cancers detected by faecal occult blood testing.

6.   Faecal occult blood testing was not done.

7.   Faecal occult blood studies have also uncovered previously unrecognised cases of ulcerative colitis.

8.   Earlier detection of carcinoma of the bowel by the use of faecal occult blood screening tests should reduce the number of these patients presenting with iron deficiency anaemia.