By Meagan IngersonThe Daily Northwestern
A new prescreening test for colon cancer in development at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare could make detecting the disease more effective, less expensive and more comfortable for patients, researchers said.
The technique, currently in clinical trials at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, 1301 Central St., was pioneered by Dr. Vadim Backman, a Northwestern professor in biomedical engineering, and Dr. Hemant Roy, a gastroenterologist with Evanston Northwestern Healthcare.
“The problem we have is that colon cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths and yet, if everybody had a colonoscopy, we should be able to prevent all of it, or the vast majority of it,” said Roy, who oversees clinical trials.
The new test involves shining a light on tissue to detect subtle changes in the structure of cells, Roy said. The data then is sent to a computer that detects whether the cells are normal. If the cells are found to be abnormal, the doctor will recommend a colonoscopy.
The researchers hope the test will serve as a less invasive prescreening for colon cancer as part of a standard physical exam, he said.
The procedure also would require less preparation than a traditional colonoscopy, which requires a clearing of the bowels beforehand and involves the insertion of a tube about the size of the index finger into the colon.
Backman said the researchers were surprised to discover they could use a light to observe an effect that reveals abnormal cells. Previously it was believed to be impossible to detect abnormalities in tissue this way.
“It’s one of those interesting cases where you can follow development from basic physics to some animal studies to basic human studies, to development of medical instrumentation, and now we’re in the beginning of the large-scale clinical trials,” he said.
Roy said he and Backman expect the test to cost patients between $50 and $100, much less than the $1,500 a colonoscopy can cost. He added that the cost of the technology was a crucial factor in its development.
“There are many ways you can do things, but if you can’t get it to a simple and cost-effective way to the bedside, then a lot of your efforts are going to be wasted,” he said.
Approximately 70 percent of colonoscopies find no signs of cancer, Roy added, which often makes the procedure not very cost-effective.
Roy and Backman said they hope to apply the technique to detect both pancreatic and lung cancers as well, though both of these approaches are still speculative.
“Our data (on lung cancer) is very preliminary, but if it holds, it could have huge implications,” Roy said. “This technology could be applied to any place you could either shine a light or get cells from.”
Although the colon cancer prescreening is still in clinical trials, Roy said he and Backman expect the technology could be widely available within five years.
Reach Meagan Ingerson at [email protected].
