New Test Detects Colorectal Cancer From Stool Sample

British researchers report they have developed a test that by detecting a molecule in cancerous cells, enables doctors to pick up early signs of colorectal cancer.

Dr. Ron Laskey of Cambridge University told the Cancer Research UK conference that the non-invasive technique pinpoints a molecule, called MCM2, that are found in rapidly dividing cancerous cells but not in healthy cells.

The molecule is detected by taking a stool sample and analysing it, avoiding the need for invasive screening techniques such as colonoscopy.

In initial tests, MCM2 was identified in the stools of 37 out of 40 patients with confirmed colorectal cancer. In 20 control cases of patients with other bowel disorders who did not have colorectal cancer, MCM2 was not found, Laskey reported..

"We're really excited by our results so far, which suggests that our test is not only sensitive but also specific, in that it does not accidentally pick out healthy people as having bowel cancer," Laskey said. "The beauty of the marker is that it detects early abnormalities in the development of the disease.

If further studies confirm the results of early trials, Laskey said he believes the molecular markers could form the basis for screening tests not just for colorectal cancer but other types of cancer such as cervical and bladder cancer.

"Ultimately this could be a very affordable test. We think it has a lot of potential. We now have to test it on the population at large," he added.

Other Sources: Cancer Research UK, the Guardian,