Researchers Develop Cancer Test Using DNA From Poo
June 2, 2009 by admin
A new type of stool test maybe the next big thing when it comes to detecting many different cancers.
Cancers of the digestive tract include colon, stomach and esophageal cancer, and can sometimes be difficult to spot using traditional methods.
The test is based on DNA, and works by looking for cast off genetic material from cancer cells.
In a clinical trial conducted by researchers from the Mayo Clinic, the test was accurate in 100% of patients it was conducted on.
“It’s very exciting to see this level of sensitivity for digestive cancer detection in our first look at this test application,” Dr. David Ahlquist of the Mayo Clinic said in a statement.
The researchers say that one day, their finding could lead to new, noninvasive tests for multiple types of cancer.
