In a recorded audio presentation in lieu of the usual annual DDW meeting, Shai Friedland, MD, professor of medicine at the Stanford University Medical Center, presented information on a blood test that may detect colon cancer. He said techniques to detect circulating cells in the blood have become more sensitive, which creates the potential to detect small adenomas earlier in their development in addition to larger adenomas and colon cancer.

Researchers evaluated the test, called FirstSight (CellMaX Life), in a single-center, blinded study conducted at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System. The study included 354 patients with no prior CRC diagnosis who were scheduled for colonoscopy.

In their analysis, investigators determined that the test achieved a specificity of 90% and sensitivity of 100% and 76% for the detection of CRC and advanced adenomas, respectively. They also found an association between the CMx Score and disease severity (likelihood ratio P < .0001). The score also correlated with the size of the index adenomas.

See a review of this presentation on Healio here.