Health Discovery Corporation has identified and patent-protected colon cancer-specific biomarkers that can be used in the development of molecular diagnostic assays for colon cancer detection, disease discrimination, and even a potential vaccine. The aim of this early biomarker discovery project was to define the gene expression patterns associated with colon cancer. The dataset analyzed was gathered from 62 patient tissue samples that were plated onto oligonucletide arrays. Our RFE-SVM served as an effective tool for sifting through the noise of thousands of measurements to highlight only those genes that optimally contributed to the study focus. The Company is currently validating these findings in anticipation of developing a molecular diagnostic product for commercialization.
In the United States, colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men, after skin, prostate, and lung cancer. It is also the fourth most common cancer in women, after skin, lung, and breast cancer. It generally occurs in 1 out of every 20 individuals. Colorectal cancer accounts for about 15% of all new cancer diagnoses which equates to approximately 150,000 new cases each year in the US. About 56,000 deaths occur each year in the US alone due to colorectal cancer.
When colorectal cancer is detected early, survival rates are much higher. The survival rate at 5 years is 92% for patients who receive early treatment. When adjacent organs or lymph nodes are affected, the 5 year survival rate drops to 64%. In cases where the cancer spreads to other organs, the survival rate drops to only 7%. Thus, it is essential that all patients undergo screening for the early detection of precancerous conditions.
