Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Toward a Urine Test for Detecting Colon Cancer

When we reach certain age it advised by medical professionals to get colonoscopy at least every 3 years to screen for colon cancer which is reported to be the third most common cancer in the United States. Colonoscopy involves using a flexible, lighted tube to see inside the colon, is the most effective tool for the early screening of colon cancer. The process of going through the test can be embarrassing for some people, thanks to science now moving towards a urine test to detect colon cancer.

The article from ScienceDaily (Apr. 21, 2010) — Scientists are reporting an advance toward development of a urine test for detecting colon cancer. Such a test could eventually compliment or even reduce the need for colonoscopy, the mainstay screening test used today. when scientists analyzed urine samples from 123 people 60 with colon cancer and 63 without, for differences in its composition. They identified 16 substances that appear in unusual amounts in colon cancer. The changes include increased levels of tryptophan, one of the 22 amino acids that are found in proteins. The results demonstrate the potential of using urine as a tool for diagnosing colon cancer as per involved scientists .

This is good news, it will reduce the pain, fear/anxiety or embarrassment that goes with the actual colonoscopy test. I guess this could also save a lot of money and time because patients will now be able to just provide urine sample for their initial assessment and probably not to undergo the colonoscopy unnecessarily .

Posted by Anna Moreno

5 comments:

  1. This is good news to our wallets but I'm not sure if hearing that you have colon cancer is a good news. I wonder how accurate this test can be. Any percentage?

    Posted by Minwoo Ji

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  2. Responding to Minwoo Ji, a agree with you it will not be a good news to hear you have colon cancer, but if your doing a screening as part of check ups or as secondary preventios it can be a great news to our wallets.

    Posted by Anna Moreno

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  3. This makes me very, very happy because since learning what a colonoscopy is, I have dreaded the day I will have to go get one. I, like many people, am not particularly excited about the process of a colonoscopy, but would undoubtedly get one to screen for cancer. Technological breakthroughs like this though will make me much more likely to go more often and therefore I will have a better chance for early detection. I think this story shows the importance of not only finding ways to cure diseases, but also the importance of making medical procedures more comfortable.

    Posted by Matt Grazewski

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  4. This is very great news in the medical field. As I have heard that these tests are very embarassing and cause lots of stress and unease. Knowing that the test is unpleasant before and during, peeing into a cup does not look that bad! I hope that this research pans out and becomes a method of testing for colon cancer. Next they should come up with something besides a mamogram...us ladies recieve many embarassing moments in our life.
    Posted by Amanda Hostetter

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