A Multicenter Clinical Trial of Stool-based DNA Testing for Early Detection of Colon Cancer in China

According to data from Global Cancer Statistics 2018, colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks second in incidence and fifth in mortality among all cancers in China. The underlying neoplastic progression from adenoma to CRC endures up to 10 years, providing an extended window for CRC detection and screening. Currently, fecal occult blood test (FOBT) and colonoscopy are the main diagnostic and screening methods for CRC in Chinese clinical practice. However, due to low patients' compliance with colonoscopy and poor sensitivity of FOBT, a large proportion of CRC could not be effectively diagnosed and treated at early stage. Therefore, noninvasive fecal DNA detection approach with enhanced performance is urgently needed in clinic. The aim of this trial is to evaluate effectiveness of the Human Multigene Methylation Detection Kit (Fluorescent PCR) for auxiliary diagnosis of colorectal cancer. By assessing the level of DNA methylation of certain genes in human stool, the test can indicate whether cancerous and precancerous lesions exist in the areas of colon and rectum.