UMBI Research Spotlight No.9/2026
Drug Use and False-Positive iFOBT in Colorectal Cancer Screening
UMBI is pleased to highlight a study from The Malaysian Cohort investigating whether commonly prescribed medications are associated with false-positive immunochemical faecal occult blood test (iFOBT) results.
A positive iFOBT indicates the presence of blood in the stool, but this does not necessarily mean colorectal cancer, as bleeding may arise from other non-cancer causes. Some medications have also been suspected to contribute to gastrointestinal bleeding, prompting this study.
Among 438 participants who underwent colonoscopy following a positive iFOBT, 49.3% had false-positive results. Although some associations with medication use were observed initially, these were no longer significant after adjustment for confounding factors. The findings suggest that commonly prescribed medications were not independently associated with false-positive iFOBT results, highlighting the importance of considering the broader demographic and clinical context when interpreting colorectal cancer screening outcomes.
Read the full article:
Abdullah N, et al. (2026).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.canep.2026.103076
#UMBI #UKM #UMBIResearchSpotlight #TheMalaysianCohort #ColorectalCancer #CancerScreening #iFOBT #ColorectalCancerScreening #CancerEpidemiology #MolecularMedicine #PublicHealth #BiomedicalResearch
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