Mayo Clinic Finds Two Genes for Colon Cancer Tests

Mayo Clinic researchers were expected to announce today that they have identified two genetic markers that can be used to identify colon cancer from a stool sample. "The study involved 500 patients, ages 50 to 80, who had no symptoms and who recently had a colonoscopy with normal results," says a clinic announcement. Two specific genes were found to be useful for results that were "consistent, regardless of whether patients smoked, consumed alcohol, took aspirin or were obese."

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