Genetic tests from feces can provide early warning of whether you have bowel cancer, according to research published January 2002 in The Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine.
Doctors at Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in Baltimore, Maryland, tested stool samples for mutations in a gene called adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) that was first spotted 10 years ago as a potential trigger for cancer of the colon and rec tum.
Samples were taken from 74 volunteers. Twenty-eight already had early colorectal cancer; 18 had premalignant tumours called adenomas that were at least one centimeter across; the other 28 were healthy.
The technique spotted APC mutations in nearly two thirds of those with early cancer and half with the adenomas. None was seen in the healthy control group.
Although it is likely to take several years before the test enters the public domain, after refinement and further trials, the researchers say they are greatly encouraged.
PARIS - AFP, Vancouver Province 1 Feb 2002 |
