A new method for detecting bowel cancer is more than 90% accurate at predicting which higher-risk people will develop the disease, according to research.
About 500,000 people in the UK live with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's and ulcerative colitis.
Currently, they are offered regular checks for pre-cancerous growths in their gut, which, if detected, indicate about a 30% chance of bowel cancer developing over 10 years.
But the UK research found DNA changes in those pre-cancerous cells, when analysed by an algorithm, were more than 90% accurate in predicting who would develop bowel cancer over the next five years.
Prof Trevor Graham, from the Institute of Cancer Research in London, said: "Most people with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease won't develop bowel cancer.
"But for those that have these conditions and are showing signs of pre-cancer in their colon, there are some tough decisions to make.
"Either they have it monitored regularly, in the hope that it doesn't become cancer, or they have their bowel removed to guarantee they don't get cancer in the future.
"Neither of these options are particularly pleasant.
"Our test and algorithm give people with IBD, and the doctors who care for them, the best possible information so that they can make the right decision about how to manage their cancer risk."
Source: BBC News, 30 January 2025
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