Health Discovery Corporation has identified and patent protected colon cancer-specific Biomarkers. 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.

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.

The National Cancer Institute spent $267 million on colorectal cancer research in 2003 and the Center for Disease Control’s 2002 colorectal budget was $12 million.

Most colon cancers can be detected early with routine colonoscopy, but only 10% of the at-risk population has a colonoscopy. Fear of the procedure and its complications along with its high cost have limited the potential of colonoscopy to be used as an acceptable screening tool for colon cancer.
The global market for colorectal cancer was estimated to be worth approximately $1 billion in 2001 and is expected to rise to as much as $3 billion within 5 years.