Non-invasive early detection of colorectal cancer

Randox says this 'revolutionary' new test will increase early detection of both cancer and precancerous lesions and thus reduce the incidence of mortality associated with colorectal cancer

A revolutionary new test for the detection of mutations associated with colorectal cancer has been launched by Randox.

This early, patient friendly test allows the analysis of DNA in stool samples without the need for dietary or medication changes.

90% of colorectal cancers can be cured if caught at an early stage.

Early diagnosis is essential for improvement of patient prognosis in colorectal cancer and screening programmes have already been implemented throughout Europe utilising faecal occult blood tests (FOBt), where positive FOBts are followed by colonoscopy.

However, although FOB testing is non-invasive and inexpensive, it suffers from low sensitivity and specificity and results in up to 50% of colonoscopies being performed on patients unnecessarily.

Low patient compliance for colonoscopy and the requirement of a surgeon to perform the procedure mean that an intermediate test method for the detection of colorectal cancer would be of huge benefit.

It is thought that chromosomal instability accounts for 85% of sporadic colorectal cancers.

Therefore, the ability to screen for point mutations from this pathway using the Randox test in a patient presenting with a positive FOBt would be a valuable aid to the screening process by providing a highly specific test that may also benefit from increased patient compliance.

The revolutionary DNA array from Randox allows the detection of 28 mutations associated with the chromosomal instability pathway.

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