Madrid, 23 feb (EFE).-the test of occult blood in stool and colonoscopy are equally effective for the early detection of colon cancer, but the former has one much lower than the second cost ($2 and half front between 200 and 240 dollars) and is more accepted by susceptible people suffer the disease.
These are some of the preliminary findings of a Spanish study comparing the two strategies normally used to detect this type of cancer, which can diagnose early, i.e. before the person note any symptoms.
A disease that padecerá throughout his life one of every 20 people, but that if it detect in time it could heal on 90% of cases, hence the importance of this study that certifies the success of the test non-invasive in its detection, as explained today the doctors Antoni Castells and Enrique Quintero.
The initial results of the study, promoted by the Spanish Association of Gastroenterology (AEG), open the door to be easier and more viable mass of this type of cancer screening among the population of risk, men and women aged 50 to 69.
Is “a possibility very certain”, according to Castell, can be launched with programmes organized and directed by the health care system, which would mean a lower cost economic and financial in dealing with this disease.
Would be for this test, very simple and similar to the urine, nearly 11.5 million people, i.e. the population at risk, what it would cost around EUR 22 million ($28.6 million) compared to the 900 million euros ($1,170 million) annually to address advanced with symptoms cancer.
In the study, has taken four years and has been co-financed by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III and the Spanish Association against Cancer (AECC), involving 200 researchers, 15 hospitals and 60,000 in eight Spanish regions, which are awarded randomly one of the two tests.
Participation was higher in the test of occult blood in stool (34%) to colonoscopy (25%), including 1,360 people that they had been awarded the second test decided to change the first.
Only one hundred of which had to do stool test wanted to change and undergo another test invasive.
These data demonstrate that the test of stool, which is held every two years, is more accepted than colonoscopy, which must be carried out every ten, but even more important is that the number of cancers detected with both methods was identical and were mostly, at 85%, at early stage.
The study also found that the current, more sensitive stool test which a few years ago, can detect half of polyps that are diagnosed with colonoscopy, a method invasive that requires sedation and is not without complications, according to the specialists warned. EFE
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