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New test screens for colon cancer without colonoscopy

The first colon cancer screening test using patients' DNA to help find potentially fatal tumors and growths has been approved by the Food and Drug…

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The first colon cancer screening test using patients' DNA to help find potentially fatal tumors and growths has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Cologuard, the new test created by Exact Sciences, uses stool samples to detect irregular mutations, an early sign of cancer. Patients who test positive for mutations should follow-up with a colonoscopy to confirm the results. To use the test, patients must take a stool sample at home and send it to a lab to analyze for DNA and blood irregularities. The new test was created to encourage people who fear the invasive colonoscopy procedure to test for colon cancer

Doctors have already used stool tests to find blood, which may be a sign colon cancer. However, studies of Cologuard demonstrated that it was more accurate at identifying cancerous tumors and growths than traditional stool blood tests. In a study of 10,000 patients, Cologuard spotted 92 percent of colon cancers and 42 percent of advanced growths, while traditional screenings uncovered 74 percent of cancers and 24 percent of advanced growths.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. and is expected to cause over 50,000 deaths this year, according to the American Cancer Society. Colorectal cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Latinos living in U.S. Latinos are also more likely to have more advanced stages of colon cancer when their disease is discovered than non-Latinos due to the lack participation in colon cancer screening tests. 

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