67 A highly accurate bowel cancer biomarker testing service designed to improve early detection is now available in the UK. The BC95 testing service, offered by Cambridge-based digital diagnostics company EDX Medical, combines three components A highly sensitive epigenetic biomarker test for the early detection of bowel cancer A hereditary genetic risk assessment with a comprehensive report A faecal haemoglobin reference test that aligns with current NHS practice The service achieves sensitivity of more than 95% across stages 1 to 4 of bowel, or colorectal, cancer, which is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. More than 46,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year in the UK and around 17,700 die from the disease, according to Bowel Cancer UK. Preliminary clinical evaluation has shown particularly strong demand for the early detection epigenetic biomarker test, which EDX says is the most sensitive and accurate epigenetic biomarker test for colorectal cancer currently available on the UK market. In a clinical study involving 1,124 asymptomatic patients with an overall disease incidence of 1.8%, the test achieved An average sensitivity of 95% for detecting stage 1 to 4 colorectal cancer 89.1% sensitivity for detecting stage 0 to 2 cancers 58.1% sensitivity for detecting precancerous advanced adenomatous polyps The company says the test may be particularly useful for monitoring people at increased risk of bowel cancer because of hereditary genetics or lifestyle factors. Cases of bowel cancer are also being seen more frequently in younger adults, prompting calls for greater awareness and improved screening tools. Charlotte Rutherford, who was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer at the age of 26 and is now in remission, works to raise awareness of the disease. Rutherford said: “One of the biggest challenges with bowel cancer is that many people either do not recognise the symptoms or delay seeking advice because they do not think anything is seriously wrong. I am passionate about encouraging people to take control of their own health and not ignore symptoms or warning signs.” “Early diagnosis and early detection are absolutely critical because they can dramatically improve treatment options and outcomes. Innovative testing services such as BC95 give people access to highly accurate screening and detection tools, empowering individuals to be proactive about their health and helping identify bowel cancer at a stage when it is most treatable.” Professor Sir Chris Evans, founder of EDX, said: “We are delighted that early indications from healthcare professionals are showing such strong interest in the early detection element of the testing service, and we believe that the combination of complementary tests available in the BC95 service is unique in the UK. We believe the BC95 service fits perfectly with the increasing demand for comprehensive and sophisticated diagnostics.” Dr Mike Hudson, chief executive of EDX, said: “For far too long, late detection of bowel cancer has seriously limited treatment options for patients, and reduced the likelihood of survival, especially at a time when the disease is increasingly occurring in a younger generation of patients. The BC95 bowel cancer testing service is an important contribution to detecting bowel cancer early.” EDX has an agreement with Genomictree of South Korea to include EarlyTect® C, the first epigenetic colorectal cancer biomarker test available in the UK. The test measures aberrant methylation of the SDC2 (Syndecan 2) gene promoter region, a biomarker frequently found in early-stage colorectal cancer tissue. The BC95 service combines blood and faecal sample analysis with hereditary risk assessment to support clinicians in deciding whether further investigations, such as colonoscopy, are needed. According to EDX , the combination of NHS-aligned faecal haemoglobin testing with advanced epigenetic analysis provides a more comprehensive assessment than single-method testing alone.