Blood in stool tests versus targetted CRC protein biomarkers...

Blood in stool tests versus targetted CRC protein biomarkers -

Glenn Gilbert:
"Sensitivity is how accurate you are, so are you actually detecting cancer when you say you’re detecting cancer? And specificity is how many – what’s the easiest way to describe it? How many haemorrhoids are going through? So, if you have a high specificity, you are very focused on detecting colorectal cancer and that’s what we are as opposed to the other tests."

Colostat has 91% specificity. The specificity of a test is its ability to designate an individual who does not have a disease as negative. A highly specific test means that there are few false positive results. A patient may have blood in their stool (e.g. from hemorrhoids), but not have CRC or Advanced Adenomas (AA). Therefore Colostat reduces unnecessary colonoscopies.

I believe this is why Glenn has not released the sensitivity and specificity for detecting advanced adenomas...because it is confusing...

The sensitivity of iFOBT for AA ranges from 16-64%. Furthermore, the sensitivity of iFOBT ranges from 53-100% and specificity is around 93% (source Cancer Council Australia) Yes, the specificity is high, but only for not finding blood in stool at all the stages. In the case of Colostat, they test for actual CRC biomarkers, so their specificity refers to not having CRC. A logical assumption is that Colostat is highly specific for AA, while IFOBT is not. This is a significant, important, and very beneficial difference.

Comparing IFOBT to Colostat is not so straightforward.

Fortunately, Colostat is also highly sensitive for detecting disease, 81%.