While there are certain tests that can identify a patients risk of colon cancer, researchers believe that they are developing a new urine test that could possibly detect the disease without the need for a colonoscopy.
According to a new study published in the American Chemical Societys (ACS) Journal of Proteome Research, scientists believe they are getting closer to developing a urine test for colon cancer, which is the third most common cancer in the United States.
The researchers are hopeful that these new findings will one day offer alternative testing for colon cancer, negating the need for an invasive colonoscopy. Scientists analyzed the urine of 123 patients60 with colon cancer and 63 without.
Scientists were able to identify 16 substances in the urine that indicated the patient had colon cancer. It was noted that these changes included increased levels of tryptophan, which is one of 22 amino acids that are typically found in proteins.
Researchers believe that upon further testing, this could lead to a new way of detecting colon cancer.