1. ¹Diagnostic Imaging Unit, CSPO, Viale A, Volta 171, Florence 50131, Italy
2. ²Epidemiology Unit, CSPO Via di San Salvi 12, Florence 50135, Italy
3. ³Screening Unit, CSPO Viale A, Volta 171, Florence 50131, Italy
4. ⁴Laboratory Unit, CSPO Via Cosimo il Vecchio 2, Florence 50139, Italy

Correspondence: Dr G Castiglione, E-mail: g.castiglione@cspo.it

Received 18 January 2007; Revised 19 March 2007; Accepted 30 March 2007; Published online 24 April 2007.

Abstract

We evaluated the sensitivity for colorectal cancer (CRC) of the latex agglutination test (LAT), an immunochemical test routinely used in the Florence District screening programme since 2000. Sensitivity was calculated by the proportional interval cancer incidence method in a population of 27 503 consecutive subjects screened in 2000–2002, interval cancers being identified by linkage to the Tuscany Cancer Registry files. Sensitivity was calculated overall and by gender, age, time since last negative LAT, CRC site, and rank of screening. Overall 1- and 2-year sensitivity estimates were 80.7 and 71.5%, respectively, suggesting that faecal occult blood testing screening sensitivity may be suboptimal due to testing or programme quality problems. Increasing screening sensitivity might be achieved if the detection rate of advanced adenomas could be increased without unacceptable loss in specificity.