93%. This is the number of colon cancers that the new test is able to detect. It largely beats current immunological tests, which have an efficiency of 73%.
The novelty ? The test is non-invasive and “multi-target”. He is still analyzing stool samples and looking for the presence of blood. But at the same time, it analyzes the DNA of patients and identifies possible genetic mutations. This multifunction screening tool would thus make it possible to detect more cancers and precancerous polyps than conventional tests.
Another advantage is that this test seems to give fewer “false positives”. Bias results which require additional analyzes and to go through the colonoscopy box. This saves the patient some constraints such as the diet that precedes the colonoscopy.
A test not yet marketed
Dr. David Ransohoff, professor of medicine at UNC in the United States, has proven the effectiveness of this new test on 10,000 participants at risk of colorectal cancer. His findings appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The test is not yet marketed in the United States. He is awaiting the green light from the Food and Drug Administration, the US drug agency.
In France there are 42,000 new cases of colorectal cancer each year. If diagnosed early, this disease can be cured in more than 9 out of 10 cases.
