Improved stool DNA test helps spot colon cancer

A simplified colorectal cancer screening test that detects tumor DNA in stool is an improvement over an earlier-generation assay. In the American Journal of Gastroenterology, researchers report that in a prior evaluation the improved test identified 88% of cancers and had a false positive rate of 18%. In the current study, the researchers sought to validate these findings in stool samples from an independent set of 42 patients with colorectal cancer and 241 with normal colonoscopies. The team found that the accuracy was similar to the earlier figures. Moreover, say the investigators, "The vast majority of cancers were detected regardless of tumor stage, tumor location, or patient age."
In comparison with the older, more complex stool DNA test, they add, the new version is easier to perform, cheaper, and suitable for use in local laboratories.

Steve - this can be a useful tool given the recent data about the effectiveness colonoscopy not being as accurate as once thought.