Novel Toilet Paper–Based Point-Of-Care Test for the Rapid Detection of Fecal Occult Blood: Instrument Validation Study

Abstract

Background Colorectal cancer screening by fecal occult blood testing has been an important public health test and shown to reduce colorectal cancer–related mortality. However, the low participation rate in colorectal cancer screening by the general public remains a problematic public health issue. This fact could be attributed to the complex and unpleasant operation of the screening tool. Objective This study aimed to validate a novel toilet paper–based point-of-care test (ie, JustWipe) as a public health instrument to detect fecal occult blood and provide detailed results from the evaluation of the analytic characteristics in the clinical validation. Methods The mechanism of fecal specimen collection by the toilet-paper device was verified with repeatability and reproducibility tests. We also evaluated the analytical characteristics of the test reagents. For clinical validation, we conducted comparisons between JustWipe and other fecal occult blood tests. The first comparison was between JustWipe and typical fecal occult blood testing in a central laboratory setting with 70 fecal specimens from the hospital. For the second comparison, a total of 58 volunteers were recruited, and JustWipe was compared with the commercially available Hemoccult SENSA in a point-of-care setting. Results Adequate amounts of fecal specimens were collected using the toilet-paper device with small day-to-day and person-to-person variations. The limit of detection of the test reagent was evaluated to be 3.75 µg of hemoglobin per milliliter of reagent. Moreover, the test reagent also showed high repeatability (100%) on different days and high reproducibility (>96%) among different users. The overall agreement between JustWipe and a typical fecal occult blood test in a central laboratory setting was 82.9%. In the setting of point-of-care tests, the overall agreement between JustWipe and Hemoccult SENSA was 89.7%. Moreover, the usability questionnaire showed that the novel test tool had high scores in operation friendliness (87.3/100), ease of reading results (97.4/100), and information usefulness (96.1/100). Conclusions We developed and validated a toilet paper–based fecal occult blood test for use as a point-of-care test for the rapid (in 60 seconds) and easy testing of fecal occult blood. These favorable characteristics render it a promising tool for colorectal cancer screening as a public health instrument.

Challenge of Colorectal Screening in Developing Countries

“…Another advanced screening method is flexible sigmoidoscopy, which examines the lower part of the colon. Several studies indicate a decrease in CRC incidence among individuals undergoing sigmoidoscopy followed by colonoscopy compared to those The comparison between the TMB test and gFOBTs [27].…”

“…Another step is to stick the patient's finger in the circular area on the front side, then wipe the buttocks to collect a stool specimen in the circular area on the backside. Next, the 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine regimen and the hydrogen peroxide with ethanol regimen will be dripped [27]. In this examination, haem originating from free hemoglobin, myoglobin, or lysed erythrocytes will catalyze the oxidation reaction and trigger a change in action to green or blue within 2 minutes.…”

“…Apart from that, the reading of the test results is not objective but is based on the observation. As a result, wrong interpretations can occur, especially if the patient sees the test results from a considerable distance (Figure 1 and 2) [25,27].…”

Point-of-care diagnostic devices for periodontitis – current trends and urgent need

“…12 1.2 Summary of oral POC diagnostic device classes Point of care (POC) diagnostic devices represent a method of clinical monitoring and testing that allows for quick and accurate identification of the medical malady in the office or while the patient is close at hand. POC diagnostic devices can rapidly identify biologically relevant substances like blood glucose levels, 13 liver enzymes, 14 blood in the stool, 15 pregnancy, 16 and the presence of drugs in the blood or urine amongst others. 17 Though many varieties of POC devices exist, diagnosis of infectious diseases is of great global interest.…”

A Metabolomics-Based Screening Proposal for Colorectal Cancer

“…However, as the adherence of the target population to screening programs is pivotal to obtaining successful public health results, the need to address this issue becomes prominent. Hence, significant effort is expended to develop novel diagnostic tools in order to encourage and simplify the screening of CRC, including, as an example, the development of a toilet paper-based FOBT method [22]. In this context, metabolomics analysis may offer valuable support.…”