The importance of comparing quantitative faecal immunochemical tests (FIT) before selecting one for a population-based colorectal cancer screening programme

FIT for haemoglobin are now commonly used in many countries as the best, currently available, non-invasive test for colorectal cancer (CRC) in asymptomatic population screening programmes (1). FIT are available in two formats, qualitative, usually based on lateral-flow immunochromatographic test strips or cassettes, and quantitative, most often based on immunoturbidimetry, and performed on small benchtop analyzers. Quantitative FIT have a number of significant advantages over qualitative FIT, a major one being that analyses of faecal samples give estimates of the faecal haemoglobin concentrations (f-Hb) (2).