First Non-Invasive DNA Screening Test for Colorectal Cancer Approved by FDA
n a latest announcement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave a nod to Cologuard - first stool-based colorectal screening test that easily identifies the presence of red blood cells and DNA mutation that reveal the presence of certain kinds of abnormal growth that may be cancers like colon cancer or precursors to cancer.
Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. It affects people aged 50 years and older, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CCD). Colorectal cancer is effective in lowering illness and death related to colon cancer. CDC estimates that everyone aged 50 years and older has to undergo regular screening tests as recommended. With this, nearly 60 percent of the cancer deaths can be avoided.
This cancer occurs in colon or rectum. It starts as abnormal raised or flat tissue growths on the inner lining of the large intestine or rectum. The newly approved Cologuard uses stool sample and detects haemoglobin - a protein molecule that is a component of blood.
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