Early screening for colon cancer can greatly reduce deaths by finding cancer early through testing. However, colorectal cancer remains a leading cause of death in Canada because of the uncomfortable screening process.
Dr. Anuraag Shrivastav is a professor of biology and conducts cancer research at UWinnipeg.
Current Canadian screening programs rely mainly on stool tests, which many people find unpleasant and inconvenient. This inconvenience decreases participation for the early screening process that can save lives.
In this project, we will assess the performance of this blood test with individuals undergoing colorectal cancer screening.
Dr. Anuraag Shrivastav
Early screening is the key to detecting and removing growths in the bowel (polyps) before they become cancerous.
UWinnipeg's Dr. Anuraag Shrivastav has been working on the efficacy of a simple blood test which can detect three proteins in the blood which are elevated in people with adenomatous (precancerous) polyps and colorectal cancer. This test can save lives by early detection, without the current uncomfortable screening process.
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has granted Dr. Shrivastav and UManitoba's Dr. Harminder Singh $650, 251 over four years, to assess the performance of a blood test in 2,000 participants undergoing colorectal cancer screening.
Colorectal cancer usually develops slowly from precancerous polyps over many years, allowing a long window of opportunity to detect and remove these lesions.
With this new blood test there can be a higher rate of participation and a greater chance to discover these potentially dangerous lesions early to help reduce the chance of developing cancer.
"We demonstrated earlier that an NMT signature-based blood test can detect adenomatous polyps and cancer with high sensitivity and specificity, indicating strong potential to identify disease at an earlier, more treatable stage," explained Dr. Shrivastav. "In this project, we will assess the performance of this blood test with individuals undergoing colorectal cancer screening."
If successful, this work could support a new blood-based screening strategy that improves participation, reduces unnecessary colonoscopies, and ultimately lowers colorectal cancer incidence and mortality in Canada.
