I know the screening test is important. Why should I take this test? And, why now?
American Cancer Society guidelines recommend yearly FIT or FOBT tests for people at least 50 years of age at average risk, as one of the recommended screening options.1,2
- Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in men and women, yet one of the few cancers that is largely curable if detected in the early stages and can even be prevented in some cases by removing polyps.
- When colorectal cancers are detected at an early stage, the five-year survival is 90%; however, only 39% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at this stage.
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), up to 60% of deaths from colorectal cancer could be avoided if people over 50 received the recommended screening tests.3
An FOBT done during a digital rectal exam in the doctor’s office is not sufficient for screening and is not recommended by American Cancer Society guidelines. If your doctor performs a DRE, you should ask him or her about the InSure® FIT™ test.
Why should I be screened?
Your risk of getting colorectal cancer increases with age. Women with a personal or family history of colorectal cancer and/or polyps or a history of inflammatory bowel disease may be at higher risk. Obesity, physical inactivity, heavy alcohol consumption, smoking, and diets high in red or processed meat may also increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer.4
Medical experts recommend, as one of the screening options, annual colorectal cancer screening using FOBT or FIT tests.1,2 There are numerous screening options, including but not limited to:
- A fecal immunochemical test (FIT) or fecal occult blood test (FOBT) every year; or
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years; or
- An FIT or FOBT every year plus flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years (of these first 3 options, the combination of FIT or FOBT every year plus flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years is preferable.); or
- Double-contrast barium enema every 5 years; or
- Colonoscopy every 10 years.
InSure FIT and InSure Quik F I T™ tests are fecal immunochemical tests (FIT).
Are FITs (fecal immunochemical tests) effective for detecting colorectal cancer?
The InSure FIT and InSure Quik FIT tests have demonstrated an 87%5,6 sensitivity for colorectal cancer. FIT tests are one of the screening options recommended by the new guidelines from the American Cancer Society.
What do specificity and sensitivity mean?
Sensitivity is a measure of the ability of a test to find the disease when it is present. A highly specific test is one that rarely indicates abnormality when no abnormality is present.
Where can I get an InSure FIT screening test?
Ask your physician for the test.
Are the InSure FIT and InSure Quik F I T tests covered by my insurance?
Colorectal cancer screening tests are covered by most insurance plans. For more information, review your health insurance policy or discuss with your health insurance provider.
Will I need to follow a special diet in order to use the InSure FIT test?
No. You do not need to change your diet in any way before using the InSure FIT or InSure Quik
F I T test. Unlike traditional guaiac-based FOBTs, you don’t need to avoid any foods before using this test.
Will I need to follow a special medication routine, or change my current medications, in order to use the InSure FIT or InSure Quik F I T screening tests?
No. Unlike the traditional guaiac-based take-home FOBTs, you do not need to change any medications or medication routines.
Will I have to handle my stool when using the InSure FIT or InSure Quik F I T screening tests?
No! The InSure FIT and InSure Quik F I T tests, with their patented long-handled blue brush, allow you to perform the screening test with no fecal collection or smearing. After each of two different bowel movements, use the patented long handled blue brush to swish the toilet water above the stool, and then dab it onto the test card. We call this the Blue Brush Method!
Why will I need to provide two samples?
Because colorectal conditions may not bleed all the time, or blood may not be uniformly distributed in the stool, multiple sample FOBT or FIT take-home tests are recommended by the American Cancer Society (ACS) as one of the screening options. A single FOBT done during a digital rectal exam in the doctor’s office is not sufficient for screening and is not recommended by the ACS. The InSure FIT and InSure Quik F I T tests require one sample from two different bowel movements.
How are the InSure FIT and InSure Quik F I T screening tests different from traditional guaiac-based fecal occult blood tests (FOBTs)?
With the InSure FIT and InSure Quik F I T tests, the sampling procedure is more user-friendly. Unlike traditional guaiac-based FOBTs and some other FIT tests, the patented InSure FIT brush requires no fecal handling, and requires only two samples.6 Because InSure FIT and InSure Quik F I T tests detect human hemoglobin from blood, there are no drug or dietary restrictions required to complete the test.
How is the InSure FIT test different from a stool DNA (sDNA) test?
Unlike the InSure FIT test, stool DNA tests require patients to pack an entire bowel movement in a kit and send the sample to a laboratory for testing. InSure FIT tests are more convenient and easier-to-use than sDNA tests because of their unique Blue Brush Method for sample collection. After each of two different bowel movements, the patient uses the patented long-handled blue brush to swish the toilet water above the stool, and then dab it onto the test card.
Should I use the InSure FIT or InSure Quik F I T tests if I see blood in the toilet bowl?
No. You should not use InSure FIT or InSure Quik F I T tests if you see blood in the toilet bowl. If you see blood in the toilet bowl, you should immediately consult your physician.
Should I use the InSure FIT screening test or InSure Quik F I T if I have hemorrhoids that are bleeding?
No. You should not use either the InSure FIT or InSure Quik F I T test if you have any hemorrhoids that are actively bleeding. Because the InSure FIT and the InSure Quik F I T screening test detects blood in and around the stool, active bleeding from hemorrhoids could provide a false positive test result.
Can I do the test if I am menstruating?
No. You should not perform the test three days before, during, or three days after your menstrual period. Because the InSure FIT and the InSure Quik F I T screening test detect blood in and around the stool, active bleeding from menstruation could provide a false positive test result.
Can I do the test if someone in my house is menstruating?
You can perform the test if someone else in the house is menstruating, provided that you flush the toilet before beginning your sample collection process.
Does a positive result mean I have cancer?
Not necessarily. A positive test only indicates that blood was detected in the samples collected. This blood may be from conditions other than colorectal cancer. If you have a positive result, we strongly urge you to discuss the findings with your physician to establish the source of the bleeding and determine treatment, if appropriate. In general, a further test of the colon and rectum (such as a colonoscopy or X-ray examination) may be required.
- American Cancer Society. Colorectal Cancer Screening Guidelines. Accessed February 4, 2008. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_2_3X_
How_is_colorectal_cancer_found.asp - U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Colorectal Cancer: Recommendations and Rationale. July 2002. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Colorectal Cancer: Screening Rates. http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/statistics/screening_rates.htm
- American Cancer Society. Detailed Guide: Colon and Rectum Cancer - What Are the Risk Factors for Colorectal Cancer? http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_2X_What_
are_the_risk_factors_for_colon_and_rectum_cancer.asp - InSure FIT and InSure Quik F I T product inserts
- Smith A, Young GP, Cole SR, et al. Comparison of a brush-sampling fecal immunochemical test for hemoglobin with a sensitive guaiac-based fecal occult blood test in detection of colorectal neoplasia. Cancer. 2006;107:2152-2159. The study was funded in part by Enterix Inc. (through Enterix Australia Pty. Ltd), the manufacturer of InSure FIT. Enterix is now owned by Quest Diagnostics Incorporated. However, neither Enterix nor Quest Diagnostics participated in the data analysis or influence the conclusions reached by the authors. One of the authors, GP Young, is a consultant for Enterix Australia Pty. Ltd.
