San Francisco, CA -- (SBWire) -- 07/09/2013 --Very few people enjoy colonoscopies. However, colonoscopies are a fact of life for men and women over the age of 50. Colonoscopies are used to detect the early signs of colon cancer and remove polyps before they have a chance to develop into serious medical conditions.

A new blood test developed by Baylor Research Institute aims to make colonoscopies a thing of the past. The blood test was recently shown to be 92% effective in identifying colon cancer and 82% effective in finding advanced polyps.

The blood test was performed on several hundred patients known to have colorectal polyps and cancers. Once the extraction is complete, the blood is tested in order to identify a single biomarker, known as Mir-21, that is directly linked to colon cancer.

Today, the best tool for identifying colon cancer is the colonoscopy. Unfortunately, as clinical websites like http://www.ColonoscopyMD.com know all too well, many adults are not up-to-date on their colorectal screenings. http://www.ColonoscopyMD.com is an informational website run by La Peer Health Systems in Beverly Hills, California.

Industry analyst Benjamin Wilson discusses why some patients simply avoid colonoscopies due to their discomfort with the procedure:

“Colonoscopies are a procedure that most people accept but few people enjoy. Despite the unarguable value of colonoscopies, adults across the United States refuse colonoscopy screening every year due to their discomfort with the procedure. This new blood test has the chance to completely change the face of colorectal screening around the world. Instead of being placed under general anesthesia, the patient may simply be able to undergo a basic blood test.”

Another important advantage of this procedure is that it could be performed far more frequently than colonoscopies. Today, doctors recommend colonoscopies approximately every five to ten years. With this new blood test, the same screening could be performed every six to twelve months for a fraction of the cost of the invasive procedure.

The new blood test would not completely remove the need for colonoscopies, however. If the blood test identifies polyps or colon cancer, then a colonoscopy would still be required in order to remove the tumor.

Every year, 50,000 people die from colon cancer in the United States alone. This new blood test could make patients around the world more comfortable with the screening process while reducing the death rate from colon cancer.

About Benjamin Wilson
Benjamin Wilson is a medical industry analyst based in the United States. Benjamin’s work is highly-regarded in both online and offline circles.