By Daniel DassowKnoxville News Sentinel
Knoxville-based biotech company New Day Diagnostics launched its blood test screening for colorectal cancer nationwide after completing a year-long local pilot that helped patients reduce their risk for the deadly disease.
Its blood test, called ColoHealth, detects alterations in DNA associated with colorectal cancer. It is not meant to replace a colonoscopy, but can inform patients who are unable or unwilling to do other forms of screening about their need for a colonoscopy.
Around 65% of patients who test positive on ColoHealth had an “actionable” finding in a follow-up colonoscopy, according to the company. These findings include pre-cancerous polyps or inflammation conditions like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
The test has a negative predictive value of 99.8%, meaning patients who test negative on ColoHealth can feel confident the test is accurate and they are at a low risk for colorectal cancer. Continue reading on Knoxville News Sentinel.