Research Areas: Colorectal Cancer

Correlogic’s second diagnostic test will be its blood test for colorectal cancer. Work is underway on a blood test for detection of colorectal cancer and potentially for colon adenomas (precancerous polyps). This test will initially be used as a triage tool to distinguish patients who should undergo colonoscopy from those who can defer the procedure.

Correlogic has acquired access to a large volume of serum samples collected from several colorectal cancer screening studies conducted under identical protocols. It is anticipated that the size and quality of this sample collection combined with Correlogic’s existing technology will allow for accelerated development and FDA approval of the test.

In a blinded validation study conducted with the University of North Carolina and University of Michigan, Correlogic demonstrated initial accuracies exceeding 80 percent in the detection of colorectal cancer from serum samples.

About Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is responsible for over 52,000 deaths annually in the U.S., making it the second leading cause of cancer deaths. This year over 153,000 new cases are expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. The American Cancer Society recommends all people over age 50 be tested for colorectal cancer, but only half that population have undergone any testing.

When colorectal cancer is detected before it has spread, 5-year survival is 90 percent. Only 39 percent of colorectal cancer is detected at this stage in significant part due to the perceived unpleasantness of existing testing procedures. Colonoscopies, the most accurate of the tests, are also the most costly — typically $1,500-$2,500. Additionally, there is currently a shortage of gastroenterologists in the U.S., and this shortage will become more severe in the coming years as the target population grows.

Correlogic’s colorectal cancer blood test can provide an obvious advantage for patients — those currently being tested and those who are not — as patients overwhelmingly will prefer an accurate blood test to existing test procedures. At the same time, this test represents a significant savings to public and private insurers by more effectively allocating limited medical and financial resources for colonoscopies.