The colonoscopy may be getting some competition in the near future. Four researchers recently found a new method that could help provide earlier diagnosis for colon cancer.
Herbert Hill and Michael Williams of Washington State University collaborated with Raymond Reeves from the WSU School of Molecular Biosciences and Linda Resar from Johns Hopkins University collaborated to identify a class of molecules in mouse feces that indicate precancerous polyps. The research team stated that a “metabolic fingerprint” that matches changes in mouse and human colon tumors may mean that there could be a new, non-invasive way to diagnose early colon cancer. The title of the study is called, “The Fecal Metabolome in Hmga1 Transgenic Mice with Polyposis: Evidence for Potential Screen for Early Detection of Precursor Lesions in Colorectal Cancer.”
Colon cancer is over 90 percent treatable when discovered in the early stages, but many cases of colon cancer are in advanced stages at time of diagnosis. A colonoscopy is the best and most effective way to detect the presence of colon cancer, but many people see this test as invasive and time-consuming. The colonoscopy preparation is often the most dreaded part of the exam, and eligible men and women often choose a less invasive testing method or they choose to not be screened at all.
Williams hopes that this new method can provide easier access for colon screenings and that earlier diagnosis can mean cancer prevention. Hill and Williams discovered the “molecular fingerprint” by means of ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IMMS), a tool that is also used to detect illegal drugs, chemical warfare and explosives. Using IMMS and a particles separation technique, they found that colon cancer changed the fat metabolism in colon tissues in mice and humans, especially in lipids and fatty acids.
The scientists then compared normal profiles with those of cancerous colon tissues in mice and humans, as well as with profiles from mice with colon polyps. When looking at the stool samples of the different mice, Hill and Williams could clearly identify between the healthy mice and mice with colon cancer.
“The benefit of early detection is that we can catch cancer before it metastasizes to other parts of the body,” Williams said. “Our results represent the zero stage of cancer, the polyp stage — as early as colon cancer can be detected.”
Hill and Williams want to confirm their research findings by examining human stool samples. If those trials are successful, we may be on the brink of discovering an effective, non-invasive colon cancer screening method that could be much easier and more appealing (Source: Colon Cancer News Today).