Anyone who’s ever had a colonoscopy knows that the tough part isn’t the test itself, but the lengthy, unpleasant preparation for it. Now, though, researchers have developed a $300 test that may put an end to all that—at least for people who aren’t at high risk.
The discovery is significant because of the number of deaths from colorectal cancer, and the enormous cost of treating it. In the United States, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among men and women, according to the American Cancer Society. The New York Times reported that there are 50,000 deaths annually from the illness and that it costs about $14 billion to treat.
The test, similar to the long-used but unreliable Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT), involves examining stool samples for indications of cancer. But the new procedure detecs DNA mutations that indicate cancer. Perhaps even more significantly, it can detect precancerous polyps (small growths) while ignoring benign polyps, according to the Times.
Patients could take the tests at home, every three years. But those who are considered high risk –i.e.,with a family history of the illness—would probably still have to undergo a colonoscopy. Dr. Bert Vogelstein, one of the most prominent researchers in colorectal cancer, and a developer of the test, said he expected a false positive rate of 5 to 10 percent.
But, he told the Times, that was an acceptable false positive rate.
And although the test still needs further research before becoming available, Dr.David Ahlquist of the Mayo Clinic, another researcher on t he project, pointed out that cervical cancer has been largely eliminated because of the Pap test.
We feel,” he said, “that colon cancer could be limited to the same extent.
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