Methods for disease diagnosis from stool samples
OwnerStanley N. Lapidus, Anthony P. Shuberinventors
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Abstract
The present invention provides methods for preparing a stool sample in order to screen for the presence of indicators of a disease, for example a subpopulation of cancerous or precancerous cells. The methods take advantage of the recognition that cellular debris from cancerous and precancerous cells is deposited onto only a longitudinal stripe of stool as the stool is forming in the colon. Accordingly, methods of the invention comprise obtaining a representative sample, such as a circumferential or cross-sectional sample of stool in order to ensure that any disease indicator, such as cellular debris that is shed by colonic cells, is obtained in the sample.
Claims20
A method of screening for the presence of a disease in a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) obtaining a sample comprising a circumferential surface of a stool voided by a patient;
- and
- b) performing an assay to detect in the sample characteristics indicative of the presence of said disease.
A method for screening for the presence of a colorectal cancer or precancerous lesion in a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) obtaining a stool voided by a patient;
- b) removing a circumferential surface from said stool;
- and
- c) performing an assay on said surface to detect characteristics indicative of the presence of cells or cellular debris shed onto said stool.
A method for reducing morbidity from colorectal cancer in a population, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) obtaining a sample comprising at least a representative portion of a stool voided by a patient;
- b) performing an assay to detect in the sample the presence of cellular debris shed from the lesion into the voided stool;
- and
- c) performing a visual examination of the colon of a patient presenting positive results in said assay to detect the presence of a lesion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.