Techniques in coloproctology
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The United Kingdom (UK) bowel cancer screening programme has reduced mortality from colorectal cancer (CRC), but poor uptake with stool-based tests and lack of specificity of faecal occult blood testing (FOBT), has prompted investigation for a more suitable screening test. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a urinary volatile organic compounds (VOC)-based screening tool for CRC. ⋯ CRC was correctly distinguished from adenomas or no bowel pathology using urinary VOC markers, within the bowel screening population. This pilot study demonstrates the potential of this method for CRC detection, with higher test uptake and superior sensitivity than FOBT. In addition, this is the first application of GC-IMS in CRC detection which has shown high test accuracy and usability.