NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Testing the stool for certain DNA changes could be a useful method of screening for colon cancer, according to a report in The Lancet. In the new study, DNA changes in a gene called SFRP2 were strongly predictive of colon cancer.
Dr. Martin Widschwendter, from the Medical University Innsbruck in Austria, and colleagues performed stool DNA testing in 10 patients with colon cancer and 13 healthy subjects. The researchers looked for DNA changes in 10 genes thought to be altered in colon cancer.
Significant DNA differences between patients and healthy subjects were noted for five of the genes. Of the DNA changes observed, those involving SFRP2 were the best at detecting colon cancer. SFRP2 changes identified 90 percent of the people with colon cancer.
Further testing in a separate group of 13 cancer patients and 13 healthy subjects confirmed the strong link between SFRP2 changes and colon cancer. However, in these subjects, SFRP2 changes only detected 77 percent of those with cancer.
Additional studies are needed to determine if stool DNA testing combined with other measures can detect colon cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage, the authors state.
MeSH Headings:Colonic Diseases: Digestive System Neoplasms: Gastrointestinal Neoplasms: Intestinal Neoplasms: Neoplasms: Neoplasms by Site: Colorectal Neoplasms: DiseasesCopyright © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
