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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | Next >> With this objective in mind, Ahlquist and his colleagues set out to assess the relative potential of the new DNA stool testing procedure among 3,800 healthy adults whom they determined had an average risk for developing colon cancer.
The goal was to stack up the new DNA fecal test -- referred to as "SDT-2"-- against both standard blood fecal testing and an older DNA fecal test, called "SDT-1". In this regard, the researchers described the methodology of the new SDT-2 test as potentially more "broadly informative" in terms of its ability to sift through and analyze DNA material.
All the participants collected three stool samples at home. The samples were then submitted for lab testing under the three different screening methods, although the newer SDT-2 test was not performed for all participants. All patients later underwent a colonoscopy to verify the accuracy of the three tests.
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The results? The best blood testing was able to detect 21 percent of actual cancer cases and the most serious polyp growths. The older SDT-1 DNA test performed no better, uncovering 20 percent of cancer cases.
However, the newer SDT-2 DNA test was found to be much more effective -- detecting 40 percent of cancer cases and serious polyp growth.
Ahlquist and colleagues acknowledged that they have not yet evaluated the degree of false-positive results that the more sensitive SDT-2 DNA test may have triggered.
Nevertheless, they suggested that the newer and apparently more sensitive DNA stool screening method could represent a substantial advance in molecular screening technology. And although colonoscopy screening is still the more effective option to date, the team noted that such innovations could ultimately encourage more patients to undergo testing for colorectal cancer by providing easier, less invasive and reliable screening options.
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