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Sep 11, 2023Around 120 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every day in the UK, amounting to more than 42,000 cases every year - but it can be treated if it is spotted early
A new test for bowel cancer which can be performed at home detects the disease in its earliest stages.
Doctors believe the examination will potentially save lives, as currently more than 16,000 people die of the disease every year in the UK.
It analyses a stool sample to examine the DNA of any tumour, rather than look for signs of blood — as current tests do.
But blood often only appears at a later stage of the disease, which is newly diagnosed in more than 42,000 people a year in the UK.
Blood can also be a sign of polyps — non-cancerous growths that can turn into cancer over time.
Patients carry out the test at home and send the sample to a laboratory to test for bowel cancer, which has a survival rate greater than 91 per cent if detected early.
The new test, developed by Germany-based Mainz BioMed, focuses on the DNA of the cancer.
One in 15 men and one in 18 women will be diagnosed with the cancer in their lifetime, according to Cancer Research UK.
Obesity, a family history and a diet rich in processed meats, but low in fibre are risk factors of the cancer. It is not always known what causes it though.
The three main symptoms are blood in stools, bowel habit changes and abdominal pain.
A bowel cancer screening programme is available on the NHS to everyone aged 60 to 74.
Dr John Mason, a consultant gastroenterologist at Trafford General Hospital in Greater Manchester, said: "Anything that improves the accuracy of screening will save more lives and reduce unnecessary colonoscopies, which is welcome.
"This is just the start of our journey using DNA to detect cancers. I am sure it is the first of many technological improvements we will see in the next few years.
"Having said that, the most important thing is that people participate and send in samples when invited to do so. The biggest stumbling block at the moment is non-participation."
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