Mayo Clinic researchers have found a new noninvasive test — Cologuard sDNA test —that detects pre-cancerous polyps and colon tumors is more accurate than current noninvasive tests in the market, according to a Bloomberg Businessweek news report.
Colon cancer research has long been looking for an accurate, noninvasive alternative to current invasive screening such as colonoscopies or sigmoidoscopies. The new noninvasive test was able to detect 64 percent of pre-cancerous polyps and 85 percent of colorectal cancers, according to the report.
The Cologuard sDNA test works by detecting specific altered DNA in cells found in the patient's stool. Advantages in using this test include being able to detect cancer in any location in the colon and patients not needing to take any preliminary steps before undergoing the test. These advantages are features that other tests either do not possess or do not do well, researchers say.
Other cancer specialists view the results as the first step toward proving its accuracy and reliability on a larger scale.
Read the Bloomberg Businessweek news report about the Cologuard sDNA test.
Read other coverage about colorectal cancer:
- Tumor Location a Factor in Colorectal Cancer Mortality
- Type 2 Diabetes and Insulin Use Connected to Higher Rate of Colorectal Cancer in Men
Colon cancer research has long been looking for an accurate, noninvasive alternative to current invasive screening such as colonoscopies or sigmoidoscopies. The new noninvasive test was able to detect 64 percent of pre-cancerous polyps and 85 percent of colorectal cancers, according to the report.
The Cologuard sDNA test works by detecting specific altered DNA in cells found in the patient's stool. Advantages in using this test include being able to detect cancer in any location in the colon and patients not needing to take any preliminary steps before undergoing the test. These advantages are features that other tests either do not possess or do not do well, researchers say.
Other cancer specialists view the results as the first step toward proving its accuracy and reliability on a larger scale.
Read the Bloomberg Businessweek news report about the Cologuard sDNA test.
Read other coverage about colorectal cancer:
- Tumor Location a Factor in Colorectal Cancer Mortality
- Type 2 Diabetes and Insulin Use Connected to Higher Rate of Colorectal Cancer in Men