The test of new bowel cancer forecast is more than 90% correct

A new DNA test developed in the UK can accurately predict whether high-risk patients will develop intestinal cancer in five years.

People with inflammatory intestinal disease (IBD) – which includes conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn – have up to four times more likely to take this type of cancer, also referred to as colorectal cancer.

As a precautionary measure, patients with IBD usually take more appearance in the form of colonoscopies – but this new test is more than 90% accurate in predicting the risk of bowel cancer before it begins.

While colonoscopies can detect precancerous cells in the intestines, new research from the UK Cancer Research Institute (ICR) was able to better predict which of these precancerous cells would turn into cancer.

They developed an algorithm that was over 90% accurate in determining whether a patient would have colorectal cancer in the next five years.

The tests were performed with tissue samples, but they hope to be able to use their findings to create a blood test that performs the same and can be used as a diagnostic tool in hospitals.

“Most people with ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease will not develop bowel cancer,” said Professor Trevor Graham I ICR in a press release.

“But for those who have these conditions and are showing signs of precursors in their colon, there are some difficult decisions to make.

“Either they have monitored it regularly, in the hope that they do not become cancer, or they remove their gut to guarantee that they do not receive cancer in the future. None of these options are particularly pleasant.

“Our test and algorithm give people with IBD, and the doctors who care about them, the best information possible so that they can make the right decision on how to manage their cancer risk.”

Dr. Iain Foulkes, our Executive Director of Research and Innovation at ICR, hopes the test will save people time and money in unnecessary testing, and also care for those who need it faster.

“Treatment for intestinal cancer is much more likely to be effective if you catch the disease earlier,” he said.

“Having Crohn or COLIT is a well -known risk of bowel cancer, but the risk varies greatly among different people, and so far we have had to take an approach of a suitable size to prevent it.

“With this research, we can focus the resources on treating people with IBD who are in really high risk, saving health services and valuable money. We can also give those who are in peace of mind with lower risk and remove the fear of bowel cancer in the future. “