A fecal-based test for the detection of advanced adenoma and colorectal cancer: a case-control and screening cohort study

Abstract

Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Screening is a confirmed way to reduce the incidence and mortality rates of CRC. This study aimed to identify a fecal-based, noninvasive, and accurate method for detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) and advanced adenoma (AA). Methods Through detection in tissue (n = 96) and fecal samples (n = 88) and tested in an independent group of fecal samples (n = 294), the methylated DNA marker ITGA4 and bacterial markers Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) and Pepetostreptococcusanaerobius (Pa) were identified from the candidate biomarkers for CRC and AA detection. A prediction score (pd-score) was constructed using the selected markers and fecal immunochemical test (FIT) for distinguishing AA and CRC from healthy subjects by logistic regression method. The diagnostic performance of the pd-score was compared with FIT and validated in the external validation cohort (n = 117) and in a large CRC screening cohort. Results The pd-score accurately identified AA and CRC from healthy subjects with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.958, at a specificity of 91.37%; the pd-score showed sensitivities of 95.38% for CRC and 70.83% for AA, respectively. In the external validation cohort, the sensitivities of the pd-score for CRC and AA detection were 94.03% and 80.00%, respectively. When applied in screening, the pd-score identified 100% (11/11) of CRC and 70.83% (17/24) of AA in participants with both colonoscopy results and qualified fecal samples, showing an improvement by 41.19% compared to FIT. Conclusions The current study developed a noninvasive and well-validated approach for AA and CRC detection, which could be applied widely as a diagnostic and screening test.

Application and development of noninvasive biomarkers for colorectal cancer screening: a systematic review

“…Cao and colleagues constructed a pd-score model using methylated ITGA4 and bacteria [ F. nucleatum (Fn) and Peptostreptococcus anaerobius (Pa)] by logistic regression. The pd-score detected CRC and AA with sensitivities of 94.03 and 80.00%, respectively 84 .…”

Adenoma location, size, and morphology are risk factors for FOBT false-negative results in inpatients with advanced colorectal adenoma

“…However, the effectiveness of FOBT is inherently linked to achieving high sensitivity and compliance rates 11 . Unfortunately, FOBT displays suboptimal sensitivity when applied to AA 12 .…”