Reviewer's report
Title:The value of a faecal immunochemical test in colorectal cancer
surveillance: a multi-centre cohort study
Version: 1Date:27 February 2012
Reviewer: FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ MORANTA
Reviewer's report:
The authors report the results of a multicenter study that analyzes the value of a
quantitative fecal occult blood test in patients at high risk of CRC in endoscopic
surveillance program.
Major Compulsory Revisions
The article is interesting and provides relevant information. On the other hand,
the most relevant study is that it provides worse results than those published
regarding the usefulness of FOBTi.
The authors could provide some more information to explain the low rate of
advanced adenomas detected by FOBT.
For this reason it could take into account a number of considerations:
1. What source have the tumors detected in group with personal history of CRC?
Are local recurrence or metachronous tumors? Local recurrence (whose growth
is usually predominantly extraluminal) is certainly less likely to be detected by
FOBT. For this reason, may not be a good test for monitoring patients
undergoing surgery for CRC.
2. The rate of advanced adenomas and CRC detection is low (similar to
medium-risk population). What percentage of adequacy to clinical guidelines had
colonoscopies?
3. Do the researchers found differences between different hospitals in terms of
lesion detection rate and on the percentage of positive tests?
4. The completion of the test was performed 2 days before delivery (could be
more days in patients with constipation, I guess). The authors conducted a
questionnaire to ensure the proper (kept in the refrigerator). To avoid the doubts
of its completion could be given quantitative values of FOBT (median, standard
deviation). What percentage of FOBT had a value of 0ng/ml?
5. The number of CRC is too low to evaluate the sensitivity for CRC.
Minor Essential Revisions
6. Figure 2 is not displayed clearly. Should be improved image quality
Discretionary Revisions
7. It has been shown that taking antiplatelet improves the sensitivity of the test.
Patients completed the test a few days before undergoing a colonoscopy. Had
they stopped taking antiplatelet drugs?
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
Reviewer's report
Title:The value of a faecal immunochemical test in colorectal cancer
surveillance: a multi-centre cohort study
Version: 1Date:27 February 2012
Reviewer: FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ MORANTA
Reviewer's report:
The authors report the results of a multicenter study that analyzes the value of a
quantitative fecal occult blood test in patients at high risk of CRC in endoscopic
surveillance program.
Major Compulsory Revisions
The article is interesting and provides relevant information. On the other hand,
the most relevant study is that it provides worse results than those published
regarding the usefulness of FOBTi.
The authors could provide some more information to explain the low rate of
advanced adenomas detected by FOBT.
For this reason it could take into account a number of considerations:
1. What source have the tumors detected in group with personal history of CRC?
Are local recurrence or metachronous tumors? Local recurrence (whose growth
is usually predominantly extraluminal) is certainly less likely to be detected by
FOBT. For this reason, may not be a good test for monitoring patients
undergoing surgery for CRC.
2. The rate of advanced adenomas and CRC detection is low (similar to
medium-risk population). What percentage of adequacy to clinical guidelines had
colonoscopies?
3. Do the researchers found differences between different hospitals in terms of
lesion detection rate and on the percentage of positive tests?
4. The completion of the test was performed 2 days before delivery (could be
more days in patients with constipation, I guess). The authors conducted a
questionnaire to ensure the proper (kept in the refrigerator). To avoid the doubts
of its completion could be given quantitative values of FOBT (median, standard
deviation). What percentage of FOBT had a value of 0ng/ml?
5. The number of CRC is too low to evaluate the sensitivity for CRC.
Minor Essential Revisions
6. Figure 2 is not displayed clearly. Should be improved image quality
Discretionary Revisions
7. It has been shown that taking antiplatelet improves the sensitivity of the test.
Patients completed the test a few days before undergoing a colonoscopy. Had
they stopped taking antiplatelet drugs?
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:The value of a faecal immunochemical test in colorectal cancer
surveillance: a multi-centre cohort study
Version: 1Date:27 February 2012
Reviewer: FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ MORANTA
Reviewer's report:
The authors report the results of a multicenter study that analyzes the value of a
quantitative fecal occult blood test in patients at high risk of CRC in endoscopic
surveillance program.
Major Compulsory Revisions
The article is interesting and provides relevant information. On the other hand,
the most relevant study is that it provides worse results than those published
regarding the usefulness of FOBTi.
The authors could provide some more information to explain the low rate of
advanced adenomas detected by FOBT.
For this reason it could take into account a number of considerations:
1. What source have the tumors detected in group with personal history of CRC?
Are local recurrence or metachronous tumors? Local recurrence (whose growth
is usually predominantly extraluminal) is certainly less likely to be detected by
FOBT. For this reason, may not be a good test for monitoring patients
undergoing surgery for CRC.
2. The rate of advanced adenomas and CRC detection is low (similar to
medium-risk population). What percentage of adequacy to clinical guidelines had
colonoscopies?
3. Do the researchers found differences between different hospitals in terms of
lesion detection rate and on the percentage of positive tests?
4. The completion of the test was performed 2 days before delivery (could be
more days in patients with constipation, I guess). The authors conducted a
questionnaire to ensure the proper (kept in the refrigerator). To avoid the doubts
of its completion could be given quantitative values of FOBT (median, standard
deviation). What percentage of FOBT had a value of 0ng/ml?
5. The number of CRC is too low to evaluate the sensitivity for CRC.
Minor Essential Revisions
6. Figure 2 is not displayed clearly. Should be improved image quality
Discretionary Revisions
7. It has been shown that taking antiplatelet improves the sensitivity of the test.
Patients completed the test a few days before undergoing a colonoscopy. Had
they stopped taking antiplatelet drugs?
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
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