Approximately 41,000 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC) in the UK each year, and over 90% of cases are treated successfully following early detection. However, to selectively refer those patients with suspected CRC in a primary care setting remains immensely challenging. The recent revision of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) NG12 ‘red flag’ criteria for the two-week wait aims to increase the CRC detection rate.
For the first time, NG12 includes the option to test for occult blood in faeces. While intended for specific patient cohorts, the guidelines stop short of suggesting appropriate technologies and how to establish this new service. Although perceived as cheap, guaiac products are approximately 100 times less sensitive than the modern quantitative faecal immunochemical test (FIT) now available.
OC-Sensor, manufactured by the Eiken Chemical Company and distributed in the UK by the Mast Group, is a quantitative FIT platform that is simple to use, flexible to your laboratory and reliable. As well as being the only quantitative FIT assay that has US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, OC-Sensor has been adopted for laboratory use and CRC screening programmes in over 42 countries.
Key to the success of quantitative FIT is the OC Sensor sample collection device, which has been engineered to ensure unparalleled analytical precision, proven ideal for patient sample collection at home, all with a focus on providing exceptional levels of hygiene. The precise test-wand, integrated into the cap, allows the collection of 10-mg stool sample every time. The user-friendly and innovative sample tubes have led to an increase in participation rates and patient compliance, and therefore the efficacy of FIT testing.
Offering two dedicated platforms, the OC-Sensor technology can be integrated easily into large or small laboratories; OC-Sensor Pledia can process up to 320 samples per hour, while OC-Sensor iO can process up to 88 samples per hour. OC Sensor instruments are fully automated, simple to use and require almost no hands-on time to run and maintain. With ready-to-use reagents, onboard QC monitoring and sample analysis software, implementing the OC sensor could not be simpler.
So, are you FIT for the future? Adopt OC-Sensor, the clear path to an effective, efficient service.