A new study has found that a simple blood test can accurately detect colon cancer in middle-aged and older adults. The research, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, suggests that this test could be a game-changer in making colon cancer screening easier and more accessible.
Colon cancer is one of the most common and deadly cancers, especially among people over 45. Early detection is crucial because the disease is much easier to treat in its early stages. However, many people avoid screening because the current methods are uncomfortable or inconvenient.
The standard test for colon cancer is a colonoscopy, a procedure in which a doctor inserts a thin tube with a camera into the colon to look for cancer or pre-cancerous growths.
While this test is very effective, it requires patients to go through an unpleasant bowel cleansing process and be put under sedation. Many people find this experience difficult or intimidating, leading them to skip screening altogether.
Another screening method is a stool test, which looks for hidden blood in a person’s stool. This test is easier to do than a colonoscopy, but it must be repeated every year to be effective. Despite these options, many people still do not get screened.
In the United States, around 22% of those who should be tested for colon cancer have never done so. In some states, the number is even higher, exceeding 40%.
To address this problem, researchers developed a blood test that looks for signs of colon cancer in the bloodstream. They tested it on more than 40,000 people between the ages of 45 and 85 at 200 different medical centers across the United States.
After taking the blood test, the participants also underwent a colonoscopy so that researchers could compare the results.
The blood test successfully identified 81% of people who had colon cancer. This means that if 100 people with colon cancer took the test, it would correctly detect the disease in 81 of them. The test was even better at ruling out cancer in healthy people—it was 90% accurate in identifying those who did not have the disease.
Doctors say that having a reliable blood test could help increase colon cancer screening rates, making it easier for more people to catch the disease early.
Dr. Aasma Shaukat, one of the lead researchers from NYU Grossman School of Medicine, explained that the test is a promising new option for those who might avoid other screening methods. A blood test is quicker, less invasive, and does not require any special preparation.
Dr. Pamela Kunz, a cancer specialist at Yale School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study, also sees the test as an exciting new tool. She believes it could be a useful option for people at average risk of colon cancer who might otherwise avoid screening.
While this test shows great potential, researchers still need to study its long-term impact. They will continue monitoring whether using the blood test leads to earlier detection and better survival rates.
Experts hope that, in the future, this blood test will become a widely available option, helping to save lives by making colon cancer screening more convenient and accessible.
If you care about cancer risk, please read studies that exercise may stop cancer in its tracks, and vitamin D can cut cancer death risk.
For more information about cancer, please see recent studies that yogurt and high-fiber diet may cut lung cancer risk, and results showing that new cancer treatment may reawaken the immune system.
The research findings can be found in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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