Early detection of cancer with “nematodes” Practical application of testing technology Tokyo venture company December 17 18:31
A venture company in Tokyo announced that it has succeeded in the practical application of a test technique that detects the early detection of cancer by smelling the urine of a human being and living in an organism called “nematode” with excellent olfaction. In clinical trials conducted so far, we have been able to identify whether it is cancer with high accuracy, so we will be able to receive it at medical institutions around the beginning of the year.
A venture company in Tokyo, "HIROTSU Bioscience" uses a "nematode" with a length of about 1 mm that has a characteristic of gathering in the urine smell of cancer patients instead of having no eyes. We have been developing technology to detect cancer early.
As a result of clinical trials at universities and medical institutions throughout the country, it was found that a very early cancer could be detected with a probability of approximately 85% from one drop of urine. I visited Fukuoka Prefecture where I gave money and reported that it was successfully put into practical use.
As early as next January, medical institutions around the world will be able to receive a test if they pay about 10,000 yen, and the company's website will show where it can be received in the future.
This test tells you whether or not you have cancer, but because you don't know what type of cancer it is, you need to check it with another checkup or test.
“We hope this new technology will help improve the cancer screening rate,” says Takaaki Hirotsu.
What is a cancer test that uses nematodes?
There are various types of “nematodes” in nature, such as those that inhabit soil and sea, and those that infest humans.
This time, the technology used to detect cancer early was based on the nematode “Sea Elegance”, which lives mainly in the soil and is widely used in biological research.
This nematode develops an olfaction instead of having no eyes, and finds food and avoids natural enemies with this olfaction.
The detailed mechanism by which nematodes gather in the urine of cancer patients is not known, but it seems to be because “the smell of food preferred by nematodes” such as E. coli and bacteria is similar to the “specific smell that comes from cancer cells” It has been.
The test determines if there is cancer by counting how many nematodes have collected in a drop of urine placed on the plate.
This means that you can tell if there are 15 types of cancer, including stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, and breast cancer, but it is not possible to determine which type of cancer, so further examination is necessary.
According to the company, in the case of early stage cancer up to stage 1 where the cancer remains part of the organ, the probability of being discovered as a test method using blood called “tumor marker” is about 10% This means that the test using nematodes was found with a probability of about 85%.
The company is working on further research, such as developing a special nematode to determine the type of cancer.
Advantages and challenges of early cancer detection
The biggest advantage of finding cancer early is the increased chance of treatment.
If cancer can be found in one organ at an early stage, the risk of the patient dying can be reduced by removing the cancer by surgery or radiation.
According to data from cancer base hospitals nationwide compiled by the National Cancer Center, the survival rate five years after cancer is diagnosed, for example, in the case of gastric cancer, cancer has spread to other organs. Stage 4 is 8.9% and stage 1 is 94.7% where cancer is part of the stomach.
On the other hand, early detection of cancer may lead to “overdiagnosis”.
For example, if the progression is slow or the patient is elderly, the cancer itself may not be related to the patient's life, but if cancer is found, treatment is often given, It has been pointed out that patients may suffer disadvantages such as side effects from surgery and treatment with anticancer drugs.
In addition, it is often the case that there is a difference depending on the type of cancer, although it is diagnosed that it is really cancer by a close examination after it is considered that there is a possibility of cancer by screening and examination You will be forced to bear a mental burden until you receive the results of the detailed inspection.
This is called a “false positive”, which is considered to be a possibility of cancer even though it is not really cancer, and is an issue in improving the accuracy of cancer screening.
“Some cancers may take several years to reach the size needed for treatment even if they are found early. The burden is very large, and some people are depressed, not just finding it early, but how to use the results to improve the patient's quality of life. There is. "