Use of RNA isolated from feces as a promising tool for the early detection of colorectal cancer

2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuliano Bernal
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Early Detection ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Occult Blood ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Fecal Occult Blood ◽  
Public Health Services ◽  
Promising Alternative ◽  
Altered Expression ◽  
Fecal Occult

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer worldwide. Early detection would allow patients to be treated surgically and halt the progression of the disease; however, the current methods of early detection are invasive (colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy) or have low sensitivity (fecal occult blood test). The altered expression of genes in stool samples of patients with colorectal cancer can be determined by RT-PCR. This is a noninvasive and highly sensitive technique for colorectal cancer screening. According to information gathered in this review and our own experience, the use of fecal RNA to determine early alterations in gene expression due to malignancy appears to be a promising alternative to the current detection methods and owing to its low cost could be implemented in public health services.

scholarly journals Clinical Validation Results of an Innovative Non-Invasive Device for Colorectal Cancer Preventive Screening through Fecal Exhalation Analysis

Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1471
Author(s):  
Giulia Zonta ◽  
Cesare Malagù ◽  
Sandro Gherardi ◽  
Alessio Giberti ◽  
Alessandro Pezzoli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Occult Blood ◽  
Machine Learning Techniques ◽  
Fecal Occult Blood ◽  
Clinical Validation ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Fecal Occult ◽  
Incidence And Mortality

Screening is recommended to reduce both incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer. Currently, many countries employ fecal occult blood test (FOBT). In Emilia-Romagna (Italy), since 2005, FOBT immunochemical version (FIT) is performed every two years on people aged between 50 and 69 years. A colonoscopy is then carried out on those who are FIT positive. However, FIT shows approximately 65% false positives (non-tumoral bleedings), leading to many negative colonoscopies. The use of an economic and easy-to-use method to check FOBT-positives will improve screening effectiveness, reducing costs to the national health service. This work illustrates the results of a three-year clinical validation protocol (started in 2016) of a patented device composed of a core of nanostructured gas sensors. This device was designed to identify CRC presence by fecal volatile compounds, with a non-invasive, in vitro and low-cost analysis. Feces are, in fact, affected by tumor-volatile biomarkers, produced by cellular peroxidation and metabolic alterations. The protocol consisted in the analysis of fecal samples of FIT-positive subjects, using colonoscopy as a gold standard. A total of 398 samples were analyzed with machine learning techniques, leading to a sensitivity and specificity of 84.1% and 82.4%, respectively, and a positive predictive value of 72% (25–35% for FIT).

Screening for Colorectal Cancer

1996 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernard Levin
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Early Detection ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Occult Blood ◽  
The United States ◽  
Fecal Occult Blood ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Screening Guidelines ◽  
Fecal Occult ◽  
Asymptomatic Stage

Colorectal cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Early detection of the disease at an asymptomatic stage by screening holds promise for lowering the incidence of colorectal cancer deaths, yet compliance with screening guidelines is poor. Evidence in support of the use of screening techniques for colorectal cancer is accumulating, however, and screening for this disease with fecal occult blood tests and flexible sigmoidoscopy can increase the likelihood of early detection, can decrease mortality and morbidity, and can be cost effective.

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