Research: New test finds more pre-stages of colon cancer

The results of a large study on more accurate colon cancer screening are promising. The new test detects many more preliminary stages of cancer in the stool, according to the study, which was conducted under the direction of the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Institute. The scientists hope that this will result in fewer people developing colon cancer and therefore fewer deaths from the disease.

The new test measures three proteins in the stool that people send in for population screening. The test currently in use measures only one protein. The study compares the two tests in over 13,000 people. The new test detected abnormalities in 299 people, compared to only 159 with the current test.

"The new test detects more large polyps," researcher Gerrit Meijer from the Netherlands Cancer Institute explained. "This means that there are no more 'false-positive' results, which would lead to people mistakenly having a bowel examination." If doctors become aware of this earlier, they can remove polyps before they become cancerous.

In the Netherlands, this new test could lead to 21 percent fewer people developing colon cancer, the researchers calculated. This would also mean that 18 percent fewer people would die from the disease. Nothing significant needs to be changed in the current screening of the population: The new test requires no more stool than fits into the small tube that participants in the Netherlands currently send by post.

Before the test can be used, it must first be produced in large quantities following European guidelines. The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and the Health Council must also issue an official opinion on the new test. The Ministry of Health must then make the final decision.