title: Screening for symptomless colorectal cancer by testing for occult blood in general practice.
abstract: 1638 persons over the age of 45 were invited to test their faeces for occult blood, using the 'Haemoccult' method. The acceptance-rate was low (25%) in those over the age of seventy-five and was highest (56%) in those aged fifty-five to sixty. 3.8% of those using the test had at least one positive haemoccult test. Rigid sigmoidoscopy identified 2 persons with carcinoma of the rectum and 1 with adenoma of the rectum. Subsequent colonoscopy and barium enema identified two cases of adenoma of the sigmoid colon and one case of adenoma of the caecum.
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000236:Adenoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000368:Aged; D001466:Barium Sulfate; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004733:Enema; D004739:England; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005194:Family Practice; D006138:Guaiac; D006801:Humans; D008551:Melena / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009780:Occult Blood; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012811:Sigmoid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D012812:Sigmoidoscopy / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D001466:Barium Sulfate; D006138:Guaiac