Researchers from Aarhus University have discovered that a standard blood sample can reveal the presence of bowel cancer more effectively and more cheaply than a faeces test.
The researchers are in the process of collecting 6,500 blood samples from volunteering Danes already scheduled to have an endoscopy. One year into the screenings period and the researchers have found crucial clues in the blood.
“There are elements in the blood that stem from the cancer tumour, which leaks them into the bloodstream,” Torben Falck Ørntoft, a professor at Aarhus University, told DR Nyheder. “We can see the leakage in the blood samples.”
“The test is acceptable for many more people and we believe that it has the quality to replace testing for blood in faeces .”
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No more crap?
It’s also more appealing for the patient, and not just from a comfort perspective.
Just half of 50 to 74 year-old Danes take part in the current bowel cancer screening.
“That’s because of the collection of faeces. There are many people who think it’s unappealing or disgusting to be involved in that,” Ørntoft said.
