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Different seasons with decreased performance of immunochemical faecal occult blood tests in colorectal cancer screening
  1. Leo G M van Rossum1,
  2. Martijn G H van Oijen2
  1. 1Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and HTA, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
  2. 2Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
  1. Correspondence to Leo G M van Rossum, Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and HTA (133), Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, P O Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen; l.vanrossum{at}ebh.umcn.nl

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In their paper, Grazzini et al described seasonal influences on the performance of an immunochemical faecal occult blood test (iFOBT) in colorectal cancer screening and concluded that the performance is 17% lower in the hot summer months than in winter.1 We wondered if this would also be true for other countries.

In a previous study in the Netherlands we described lower positivity rates due to prolonged intervals between faecal sampling at home and delivery to the laboratory with the same iFOBT as that used by Grazzini et al.2 We analysed our data for testing in accordance …

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Footnotes

  • Competing interests None.

  • Ethics approval This study was conducted with the approval of the Dutch Health Council, the independent scientific advisory board of the Dutch Minister of Health.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; not externally peer reviewed.

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