New DNA test could allow earlier detection of colon cancer

Moral of the story: This is apparently a perfect test- catches all cancer and is never wrong (super rare) and this just increases the motivation you should have for getting your colonoscopy.  prevention prevention prevention

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 8/10/2010

The New York Times (8/10, D1, Wade) reports on the front of its Science Times section, "A new generation of DNA tests for colon cancer seems likely to improve the detection both of cancers and of the precancerous polyps that precede them." The Times adds that "Exact Sciences, a company based in Madison, Wis., is developing a colon cancer test based on highly methylated DNA," and "its researchers reported last month that by testing for methylated DNA at four markers, pieces of DNA drawn from specific genes, they could detect colon tumors and polyps, distinguishing them from normal tissue with 100 percent sensitivity and with no false positives."