Early detection of colon cancer by amino acid profiling using AminoIndex Technology: a case report

Diagn Pathol. 2013 Dec 10:8:203. doi: 10.1186/1746-1596-8-203.

Abstract

Most tumor markers have low detection rates for curable stages of cancer and are therefore not satisfactory for use in a healthy population. A new cancer risk calculation method, AminoIndex Cancer Screening (AICS), uses multiple plasma amino acid concentrations to calculate the risks for several cancers simultaneously and is suggested to have a high detection rate for early-stage cancers and a low false-positive rate for adenomas. Here, we describe a male patient with a family history of colorectal cancer who underwent AICS. He was judged as Rank C for colorectal cancer, which reportedly has a specificity of 95%, a sensitivity of 41%, and an estimated positive predictive value of 0.67%. He underwent colonoscopy for a secondary screening, which revealed a 10-mm adenoma-like lesion in the ascending colon, with a biopsy report of partial carcinoma. The tumor was endoscopically removed and diagnosed as carcinoma in situ (carcinoma in adenoma). This early detection method allowed complete resection of the carcinoma, and the patient is in remission. This is the first case in which a curable cancer was detected using AICS. With its high detection rate for early-stage cancers and its ease of use, this tool, which recently became available in Japan, may be beneficial for simultaneous screening of the general population for multiple cancers. Virtual slides: The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/2145080259887842.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adenoma / blood
  • Adenoma / diagnosis*
  • Adenoma / pathology
  • Adenoma / surgery
  • Amino Acids / blood*
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / blood*
  • Biopsy
  • Carcinoma in Situ / blood
  • Carcinoma in Situ / diagnosis*
  • Carcinoma in Situ / pathology
  • Carcinoma in Situ / surgery
  • Colonic Neoplasms / blood
  • Colonic Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Colonic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Colonic Neoplasms / surgery
  • Colonoscopy
  • Early Detection of Cancer / methods*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Proteomics*
  • Remission Induction
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Biomarkers, Tumor