• The third most common form of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide.

• Prognosis: Early-stage colon cancer is treatable, with a 5-year survival rate of over 90%. The survival rate decreases with cancer progression.

For more information visit: American Cancer Society

Statistics

• About 15 million people get colonoscopies in the United States per year - average cost is $2750/colonoscopy.

• About 4.5 million people have polyps; 10% of these are cancerous (450,000 cases).

• About 600,000 surgeries are performed per year.

• Initial treatment cost:$66,000

Current Technology

• Diagnosis: Polyps are removed during colonoscopy and assayed for cancer using histopathology.

• Surgery: Cancer is excised, major vascular pedicle feeding the tumor along with its lymphatics is removed, and at least a 5-cm margin of normal bowel on either side of the tumor is resected to minimize recurrence.

• Radiation and chemotherapy: Follow the surgery.

Drawbacks to Current Technology

• Colonoscopy, polyp excision and pathology is the main route to diagnose CRC.

• Colonoscopy is invasive in nature and is associated with risks (bleeding, perforation and infection).

• Reluctance to go for colonoscopy.

• The stool testing (FIT or fecal immunochemical test and Colorguard - abnormal DNA and blood in stool) have limited sensitivity and specificity.

• Significant false positives (as much as 13%) and false negatives (as much as 60%), rendering them risky and missed opportunities to save lives.

• Late detection is always associated with significant metastasis and poor outcome with loss of lives at high cost.