March 14, 2024 – Detecting colorectal cancer may be as easy as a simple blood test one day.
Promising results of this new option — the results of the study were published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine — could help convert the estimated 1 in 3 people who don’t stay up-to-date on screenings that should begin at age 45. If everyone in the U.S. got screened regularly, as many as 90% of deaths linked to colorectal cancer may be avoided, the researchers wrote. Current screening options are often considered unpleasant experiences — collecting a fecal sample at home and mailing it, or taking laxatives and going under sedation for a colonoscopy procedure.
The blood test can detect DNA shed into the bloodstream from tumors, and in a trial of more than 7,800 people, the new test accurately detected colon cancer at early, treatable stages 87% of the time. The false-positive rate was 10%. The test was less successful at detecting advanced precancerous lesions, with just 13% being detected. In comparison, fecal tests are about 42% successful at early detection, and colonoscopies are up to 93% accurate, according to a summary from the American College of Surgeons.
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