Mayo Clinic researchers have demonstrated that a noninvasive screening test can detect not only colorectal cancer but also the common cancers above the colon — including pancreas, stomach, biliary and esophageal cancers. This is one of more than 100 Mayo Clinic studies presented at Digestive Disease Week 2009 in Chicago, May 30–June 4.
“Patients are often worried about invasive tests like colonoscopies, and yet these tests have been the key to early cancer detection and prevention,” says David Ahlquist, M.D., Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and lead researcher on the study. “Our research team continues to look for more patient-friendly tests with expanded value, and this new study reveals an opportunity for multi-organ digestive cancer screening with a single noninvasive test.”
The researchers studied 70 patients with cancers throughout the digestive tract. Besides colon cancer, the study looked at throat, esophagus, stomach, pancreatic, bile duct, gallbladder and small bowel cancers to determine if gene mutations could be detected in stool samples. Using a stool test approach developed at Mayo Clinic, researchers targeted DNA from cells that are shed continuously from the surface of these cancers. Also studied were 70 healthy patients. Stool tests were performed on cancer patients and healthy controls by technicians unaware of sample source. The stool DNA test was positive in over 70 percent of digestive cancers, but remained negative for all healthy controls, thus demonstrating the approach’s feasibility.
Stool DNA testing detected cancers at each organ site, including 65 percent of esophageal cancers, 62 percent of pancreatic cancers, and 75 percent of bile duct and gallbladder cancers. In this series, 100 percent of both stomach and colorectal cancers were detected. Importantly, stool test results did not differ by cancer stage; early-stage cancers were just as likely to be detected as late-stage cancers.
“It’s very exciting to see this level of sensitivity for digestive cancer detection in our first look at this test application,” says Dr. Ahlquist, “Historically, we’ve approached cancer screening one organ at a time. Stool DNA testing could shift the strategy of cancer screening to multi-organ, whole-patient testing and could also open the door to early detection of cancers above the colon which are currently not screened. The potential impact of this evolution could be enormous.”
Below is a link to an edited youtube video with Dr. Ahlquist.
4 Comments
What is the availability of DNA stool testing? Can I ask my doctor to provide one? I ask because I have elevated CEA (11) although a colonscopy and CT scan found no evidence of tumors or polyps.
We are actively continuing this research to fulfill our professional obligation to see that patients will benefit from such a test approach. Timing of clinical tests will depend on regulatory approvals and commercialization efforts. Meanwhile, we encourage patients to discuss existing screening options with their health care provider.
Mayo Clinic Public Affairs
What is the name or number of the DNA
Stool?
Is the test Available at this time
Thank You
Fred Sweet
Thank you for your question. Exact Sciences has licensed Mayo technology related to stool DNA testing, and Exact plans to conduct additional studies required to obtain FDA approvals (http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=125466&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1298527&highlight=). We hope that a commercial product will be available soon after FDA approval has been granted.
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[...] to my story of digestive health. The Mayo Clinic announced that they have an improved version of DNA stool testing that supports diagnosis of all sorts of digestive cancers. Here’s the deal (excerpts from their press [...]