The test is inexpensive and painless, does not require a blood test or stool sample, and requires no dietary restrictions prior to obtaining the sample. The test is expected on the Canadian market next year. Colorectal cancer is the third most prevalent cancer in North America. Research tells us that the relatively high mortality rate is due in part to the lack of accurate screening tests for the early detection of the disease. It is estimated that 17,000 new cases of colorectal cancer and 6,500 deaths will be reported this year in Canada, following behind lung and breast cancer, according to figures from the National Cancer Institute of Canada.
Colorectal cancer can be a death sentence if diagnosed in the late stages.
The five-year survival rate for colorectal cancer is 90 per cent for patients whose cancer is found and treated in the early stages, says the American Cancer Society, which predicts that 130,000 new cases of colorectal cancer and more than 56,000 deaths will result from the disease in the United States this year. However, only 37 per cent of all cases are found in the early stages. In situations where the disease is diagnosed in the late stages, the five-year survival rate drops dramatically, to as low as 8 per cent. Without an effective treatment for advanced stage colorectal cancer, it is imperative that screening be accurate, cost-effective and easy to perform to ensure compliance. Diagnosis was determined by colonoscopy, the accepted gold standard.