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Inflammation tied to colorectal cancer risk: study+
(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)TOKYO, April 19_(Kyodo) _ People who have high scores in C-reactive protein test indicating inflammation are 1.6 times more likely to develop colorectal cancer, according to a study released Wednesday by a research team of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
The findings on the CRP blood test were presented by Shoichiro Tsugane, head of the Epidemiology and Prevention Division at the National Cancer Center.
It is hoped the test will detect symptoms leading to cancer at an early stage, because some people have ulcerative colitis, which can lead to cancer, even though they look healthy on the surface.
If the highly sensitive test becomes the standard method, it could help predict the risk of developing colorectal cancer, the team says.
The team tracked about 40,000 people aged 40 to 69 in 10 regions across Japan for 11 and a half years. The regions included in the survey were located in Iwate, Akita, Ibaraki, Niigata, Nagano, Osaka, Kochi, Nagasaki and Okinawa prefectures.
The team conducted CRP tests on blood samples it took from 375 people who went on to develop colorectal cancer during the survey period, and compared the results with the samples of 750 people who did not develop the disease.
The team found people with high CRP scores were more likely to develop colorectal cancer, with the group with the highest scores having a risk 1.6 times greater than the group with the lowest scores. When it came to colon cancer alone, the risk jumped to 2.6 times.
CRP is a plasma protein that increases during inflammation. The test is used as a marker for some diseases, including bacterial infections and rheumatic arthritis.
For this study, the team used a method 100 times or more sensitive than the standard CRP test.
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