Non-invasive Fecal DNA Test for Colorectal Cancer

[imhotep]

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide and is also the third most common cause of cancer-related mortality. The incidence is particularly high in the developed world, and alarmingly, the rates are increasing in many other countries as well, with changing dietary habits thought to be one major contributing factor.

In Europe, estimated that 1 in 35 women and 1 in 22 men will develop colorectal cancer. There is a significant increase in the risk of developing colorectal cancer between 45-69, with this age range and the 70+ age range representing the highest risk groups. Hungary and Slovakia, have the highest colorectal cancer incidences and mortality.
In SriLanka it's among the top five of cancers.

When colorectal cancers are detected early, they are highly treatable. If a diagnosis is made when the cancer is still highly localized, the overall five-year survival rate can be around 90%. In contrast, in metastatic colorectal cancer, the five-year survival rate decreases drastically, to only around 10%.
In most of the developed countries the over 50s are routinely tested as a screening measure.

There are both invasive & non-invasive tests that can detect these cancers at early stages.....

Stool Tests
The guaiac-based fecal occult blood test (gFOBT) - Chemical guaiac is used to detect blood in the stool (annual)
The fecal immunochemical test (FIT) - antibodies to detect blood in the stool (annual)
The FIT-DNA test (also referred to as the stool DNA test) combines the FIT with a test that detects altered DNA. (once every 3 years)

Then there are other diagnostic procedures as Flexible Sigmoidoscopy, Colonoscopy & CT Colonography.

BGI recently introduced COLOTECT 1.0 is a non-invasive fecal DNA test for detecting colorectal cancer and precancerous lesions. It uses multiplex methylation-specific PCR (MSP) technology to trace abnormal DNA-methylation biomarkers in colorectal cancer from stool samples. Detection of methylated DNA as a tumor biomarker is becoming common in many cancer types, including colorectal cancer.
It is highly sensitive and specific, designed with a simple workflow approach, and is compatible with commonly used PCR platforms. It has a 88% of sensitivity for colorectal cancer, and most importantly, for early detection, its sensitivity for advanced adenoma is 46%. Its specificity in non-advanced neoplasias is also as high as 92%.

 

[BadBlueGenius]

bump

 

[Stimulus mind]

TFS, brother

 

[Walter White]

TFS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[NRTG]

TFS BRO

 

[1sam]

TFS.

I did that test at the age of 50, which end up in a disastrous situation. I believe you are a Doc, and should know my story as a case study.

As everyone in Australia I received the test kit at my 50th, and did the test and got the results. The report says "Blood present in stool, Further examinations recommended".

At that time my GP was a good friend of mine and also a fellow Sri Lankan. He should have advice me to do another test, or two to find out whether it was an isolated incident or not, but he told me to go for a Colonoscopy. He said, he wants to make sure about my situation, and Colonoscopy is the only way to achieve that.

I had a clean bill of health from my Colonoscopy, but the real story begins with that. There must be a little tear or scratch (it must be microscopic because there was no bleeding whatsoever) in my intestine from the equipment they inserted for Colonoscopy. Within a week or two I had an abscess near anus, which I thought a simple abscess. Unfortunately, it is not. It's a Fistula which had to operated on and kept me out of action for good two three weeks.