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SAN FRANCISCO, April 20 (Xinhua) – Researchers at Stanford University are exploring new ways to detect colorectal cancer through a less expensive, less invasive and more convenient blood test than colonoscopy or other alternatives existing, according to a Stanford newsletter last edition.
Shan X. Wang, a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford, is collaborating with other researchers to test their new idea of using a blood test to replace others. Current colorectal cancer screening options, said Stanford Report, an information newsletter offering news. about the university community by email.
Most of the existing alternatives to colorectal cancer screening involve the collection and testing of stool samples, which are considered by many patients as "an unpleasant procedure".
Wang and his team felt that the option of the blood test was possible because even in the early development of colorectal cancers, genes from dead tumor cells appear in the blood, the report said.
However, cancer-related genes account for only about one-tenth of freely floating genetic material in the blood, posing a huge challenge to detect and identify.
Jared Nesvet, a member of the research team, said they were using magnetic tags that attach only to the genes badociated with colon cancer.
Once labels are attached to genes badociated with cancer, researchers can extract these genes from a blood sample with a small magnetic field and check whether colorectal cancer is developing or not, the Stanford Report said.
The new method works well in the lab so far, Nesvet said, adding that they were planning to test it on real blood samples of patients in the future.
Despite the success of the laboratories, Mr. Wang said that a new colon cancer screening was still far away.
"I think it will be a five to ten year study to bring this technology to a successful conclusion," he said.
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