Nakajo Nobushige, Hatakeyama Hideyuki, Morishita Masayo, di Luccio Eric
Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.
Hirotsu Bio Science Inc., 22F The New Otani Garden Court, 4-1 Kioi-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0094, Japan.
Biomedicines. 2024 Nov 7;12(11):2546. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines12112546.
Cancer remains a leading cause of mortality in Japan, yet participation in conventional screening programs is low due to invasiveness, cost, and accessibility. Non-invasive, affordable, and accurate methods for early cancer detection in asymptomatic individuals are urgently needed. This opinion manuscript evaluates nematode cancer testing, a novel urine-based screening test using the nematode , for its potential to improve early cancer detection rates, based on real-world data published in a Japanese journal. Nematode cancer testing leverages the nematode's ability to detect cancer-associated volatile compounds in urine, offering a highly sensitive, non-invasive screening approach. We analyzed data from a nationwide survey of PET-equipped medical institutions in Japan, comparing cancer discovery rates between nematode cancer testing-triggered and standard PET screenings. In nematode cancer testing-triggered PET screenings, the cancer discovery rate was 2.96%, significantly higher than the 1.31% observed in standard PET screenings. The apparent positive predictive value (PPV) of nematode cancer testing was calculated at 2.09%; when adjusted for PET/CT sensitivity, the actual PPV increased to approximately 11.7%. This reflects a screening efficiency 14.6 times higher than the general population's cancer incidence. These findings indicate that nematode cancer testing successfully detects cancer in high-risk individuals and may encourage participation in further diagnostic evaluations. The recently published nationwide survey of PET-equipped medical institutions in Japan highlights the good performance of nematode cancer testing in cancer detection. As an opinion-type manuscript based on real-world data from Japan, this paper shows that nematode cancer testing has substantial potential as a cost-effective, minimally invasive primary cancer screening tool for asymptomatic populations. By enhancing early detection rates and screening efficiency, it addresses the limitations of traditional screening methods. Implementing nematode cancer testing could lead to improved cancer outcomes, particularly in populations with low participation in standard screening programs and resource-limited settings.
癌症仍是日本主要的死亡原因之一,但由于侵入性、成本和可及性等因素,参与传统筛查项目的比例较低。迫切需要一种针对无症状个体的非侵入性、经济实惠且准确的早期癌症检测方法。这篇观点性文稿基于日本一本期刊上发表的真实世界数据,评估了线虫癌症检测(一种使用线虫的新型尿液筛查测试)在提高早期癌症检测率方面的潜力。线虫癌症检测利用线虫检测尿液中癌症相关挥发性化合物的能力,提供了一种高度灵敏的非侵入性筛查方法。我们分析了日本全国范围内配备PET的医疗机构的调查数据,比较了线虫癌症检测触发的PET筛查和标准PET筛查之间的癌症发现率。在线虫癌症检测触发的PET筛查中,癌症发现率为2.96%,显著高于标准PET筛查中观察到的1.31%。线虫癌症检测的表观阳性预测值(PPV)计算为2.09%;调整PET/CT敏感性后,实际PPV增至约11.7%。这反映出筛查效率比普通人群的癌症发病率高14.6倍。这些发现表明,线虫癌症检测成功地在高危个体中检测出癌症,并可能鼓励他们参与进一步的诊断评估。最近发表 的日本全国范围内配备PET的医疗机构的调查突出了线虫癌症检测在癌症检测中的良好表现。作为一篇基于日本真实世界数据的观点类文稿,本文表明线虫癌症检测作为一种具有成本效益、微创的无症状人群原发性癌症筛查工具具有巨大潜力。通过提高早期检测率和筛查效率,它解决了传统筛查方法的局限性。实施线虫癌症检测可能会改善癌症治疗效果,特别是在标准筛查项目参与率低和资源有限的环境中。