CellMax Life published results from a study showing its circulating tumor cell blood test accurately detected colorectal cancer and precancerous lesions at an 87 percent and 77 percent accuracy rate, respectively.
Researchers enrolled 620 people that were more than 20 years old, who either visited the hospital for a routine colonoscopy or who had confirmed colorectal cancer.
Researchers performed a colonoscopy and biopsy and found 438 patients had adenomatous polyps or early-to late-stage CRC. The other participants had no cancerous growths and were used as a comparison group.
Researchers then drew two milliliters of peripheral whole blood and processed it through CellMax Life's CMx platform. They compared the results of the blood test with the colonoscopy results.
The blood-test accurately detected precancerous lesions in 77 percent of the patient base and stage one to four CRC in 87 percent of the patient base. When researchers took into account sensitivity and specificity, the accuracy rate was between 84 percent and 88 percent for both precancerous and cancerous samples.
Researchers are conducting additional testing in Taiwan and extending the U.S. testing.
Study co-author Ashish Nimgaonkar, MD, believes the blood test could potentially be offered for between $100 and $150.
CellMax expects the platform could be used to test for a variety of other cancer tumors, including breast, lung and prostate.
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