SCREENING TEST FOR EARLY DETECTION OF COLORECTAL CANCER

摘要

A method for detecting neoplasia or cancer of the colon or rectum comprising obtaining a sample of colorectal mucus from the rectum of a patient, and detecting the presence of a marker selected from th e group consisting of long chain aliphatic aldehydes containing 12 - 20 carbon atoms, particularly CH3(CH2)14CHO and CH3(CH2)16CHO; and plasmalogen-bound precursors thereof. Preferably the method comprises treating the sample with Schiff s Reagent and detecting neoplasia or cancer of the colon or rectum based upon the coloration produced at about 550 - 590 nm in the sample by the treatment. Th e method does not require the step of adding an enzyme for detecting the disaccharide marker .beta.-D-Gal(1-3)-D-GalNAc(.alpha. l- Thr/Ser) and a saccharide marker containing D-galactose and/or 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactose.