Early Screening Test Research Articles

PREVALENCE OF DIABETES MELLITUS AND RISK FACTORS IN BELOW FOURTY YEAR URBAN SLUM POPULATION OF PESHAWAR

Objective: To study the prevalence and risk factors associated with diabetes mellitus in under 40 year population of urban slums of Peshawar.
 Materials & Methods: A cross sectional analytical study was done in urban slums of Peshawar city. Simple random sampling was done a total of 700 samples were collected. Those below ages of 40 years and willing to participate were included and physical and mentally handicap were excluded from the study population. Information on socio-demographic variables and behavioural risk factors, such as smoking and physical exercise were obtained by using a structured questionnaire. Data was analyzed in SSPS version 20.
 Results: 15% (105) of the respondent were diabetic. 61(15.7%) were males and 44(14.1%) were female who was diabetic. A positive association was found with age, family history, obesity, and hypertension.
 Conclusion: Diabetes is prevalent in urban slums and measures are needed to introduce an early screening test at the community level and nutritional awareness program to be started in schools.

Circulating tumor DNA as an early cancer detection tool.

Circulating tumor DNA holds substantial promise as an early detection biomarker, particularly for cancers that do not have currently accepted screening methodologies, such as ovarian, pancreatic, and gastric cancers. Many features intrinsic to ctDNA analysis may be leveraged to enhance its use as an early cancer detection biomarker: including ctDNA fragment lengths, DNA copy number variations, and associated patient phenotypic information. Furthermore, ctDNA testing may be synergistically used with other multi-omic biomarkers to enhance early detection. For instance, assays may incorporate early detection proteins (i.e., CA-125), epigenetic markers, circulating tumor RNA, nucleosomes, exosomes, and associated immune markers. Many companies are currently competing to develop a marketable early cancer detection test that leverages ctDNA. Although some hurdles (like early stage disease assay accuracy, high implementation costs, confounding from clonal hematopoiesis, and lack of clinical utility studies) need to be addressed before integration into healthcare, ctDNA assays hold substantial potential as an early cancer screening test.

Could DNA hydroxymethylation be crucial in influencing steroid hormone signaling in endometrial biology and endometriosis?

Endometriosis affects 10% of reproductive-aged women. It is characterized by the growth of the endometrium, outside the uterus and is associated with infertility and chronic abdominal pain. Lack of noninvasive diagnostic tools and early screening tests results in delayed treatment and subsequently increased disease severity. Endometriosis is a disease associated with a deregulated hormonal response, therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern this hormonal interplay is of paramount importance. DNA methylation is an epigenetic mark that regulates gene expression and is often associated with genes that code for steroid receptors and enzymes associated with estrogen synthesis and metabolism in endometriosis. DNA hydroxymethylation, which is structurally similar to methylation but functionally different, is a biologically critical mechanism that is also known to regulate gene expression. Ten Eleven Translocation(TET) proteins mediate hydroxymethylation. However, the role of DNA hydroxymethylation or TETs in the endometrium remains relatively unexplored. Currently, the "gold standard" technique used to study methylation patterns is bisulfite genomic sequencing. This technique also detects hydroxymethylation but fails to distinguish between the two, thereby limiting our understanding of these two processes. The presence of TETs in the male and female reproductive tract and its contribution to endometrial cancer makes it an important factor to study in endometriosis. This review summarizes the role of DNA methylation in aberrant steroid hormone signaling and hypothesizes that hydroxymethylation could be a factor influencing hormonal instability seen in endometriosis.

Omics-based biomarkers in the diagnosis of diabetes.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a group of metabolic diseases related to the dysfunction of insulin, causing hyperglycaemia and life-threatening complications. Current early screening and diagnostic tests for DM are based on changes in glucose levels and autoantibody detection. This review evaluates recent studies on biomarker candidates in diagnosing type 1, type 2 and gestational DM based on omics classification, whilst highlighting the relationship of these biomarkers with the development of diabetes, diagnostic accuracy, challenges and future prospects. In addition, it also focuses on possible non-invasive biomarker candidates besides common blood biomarkers.

Diagnostic Significance of Ultrasonographic Markers and Score in Detection of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in the Indian Subcontinent

In most countries, only high-risk women are screened for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). In addition, a onetime early screening test may miss GDM as it may be diagnosable between 24 and 28 weeks. Thus, it is preferable to have alternative tests to classify women as high risk for GDM and keep them under regular follow-up. A total of 120 women with singleton pregnancies and established maternal and/or pregnancy-related risk factors for GDM and who provided informed consent were subjected to an obstetric ultrasound scan at/or after 24 weeks' gestation followed by administration of a 2-hour 75-g oral glucose tolerance test. Various ultrasound markers were determined/measured. Each ultrasound GDM marker was assigned 1 point to create the ultrasound gestational diabetes screening (UGDS) score. All ultrasound GDM markers positively correlated to the disease (P < 0.0001). The strongest independent predictor of GDM was an immature appearance of placenta (relative risk, 49.09; 95% confidence interval, 7.04-342.28; P < 0.0001). Receiver operator characteristics showed an area under the curve of 96.9%, confirming good ability of the UGDS to discriminate between positive and negative oral glucose tolerance test. A UGDS score of 4, providing diagnostic efficiency of 92%, sensitivity of 93.2%, specificity of 92%, positive predictive value of 85.4%, and negative predictive value of 96.4%, is proposed by this study. This study suggests that ultrasound markers significantly vary in GDM compared with normal pregnancy women and that UGDS is a good predictor of GDM. The UGDS may be considered an adjunct to current screening tools for GDM.

Ultrasensitive Sensor Using Quantum Dots-Doped Polystyrene Nanospheres for Clinical Diagnostics of Low-Volume Serum Samples.

Development of sensitive homogeneous assays is a high-priority research target for clinical diagnostics. Quantum dots (QDs) present favorable photophysical properties, which implies their potential as an exceptional dye in fluorescence detection. QDs-based biosensors have been described in the literature; however, few of them have truly progressed to widespread clinical usage. In this work, a chemiluminescent homogeneous detecting biosensor is fabricated using QDs-doped polystyrene nanospheres to sensitively detect biomarkers in low-volume serum samples. Phthalocyanine-dyed and QDs-encapsulated carboxylate-functionalized polystyrene nanospheres with surface carboxyl groups (PPs and QPs, respectively) were fabricated and served as triggers and fluorescent probes, respectively, in this biosensing system. In this sandwich-format immunoassay, the PPs produced singlet oxygen once sensitized by 680 nm diode lasers, and the QPs, conjugated with antibodies, and then reacted with the singlet oxygen in the presence of specific antigens and emitted anti-Stokes fluorescence with wavelengths around 605 nm, as a result of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) within the QPs. We demonstrated the determination of carcinoembryonic antigen as a model protein target in 25 μL of serum samples with an unprecedented detection limit of 2.56 × 10-13 M (46 pg/mL) using this biosensor. Furthermore, excellent correlations ( R2 = 0.99718, n = 107) were obtained between utilizing this biosensor and commercialized chemiluminescence immunoassay kits in clinical serum detection. These results demonstrate that our flexible and reliable biosensor is suitable for direct integration into clinical diagnostics, and it is expected to be a promising diagnostic tool for early detection and screening tests as well as prognosis evaluation for patients.

Integrating health, education and culture in predicting Pacific children's English receptive vocabulary at 6 years: A classification tree approach.

Pacific children fare poorly on health and educational outcomes, including literacy. Early interventions are considered critical in reducing educational disparities. A prediction model was constructed to analyse the factors associated with Pacific children's English receptive vocabulary, an important component of English language development. A birth cohort study of Pacific children was used to construct a classification tree model and predict the proportions of Pacific children who performed strongly in a standardised test of English receptive vocabulary at 6 years of age (n = 1019). Classification trees were constructed using 10-fold cross-validation (CV) and pruned using the one-standard-error rule. Prediction errors were directly estimated using leave-one-out CV. Analyses of misclassification errors from the pruned model gave false negative and positive rates of 19 and 19% from re-substitution and 54 and 21% from leave-one-out CV estimation, respectively. Of the predictors, maternal acculturation, small birthweight and performance in early developmental screening test at 4 years of age were found to have the highest goodness of split. The cultural environment to which Pacific children were exposed in early childhood, indicated by the maternal acculturation, was more crucial in distinguishing children with strong English-receptive vocabulary skills than socio-economic or prenatal conditions. This highlights the importance of integrating the cultural environment into designing measures for facilitating Pacific children's language development.

Attributes, Performance, and Gaps in Current & Emerging Breast Cancer Screening Technologies.

Early detection of breast cancer, combined with effective treatment, can reduce mortality. Millions of women are diagnosed with breast cancer and many die every year globally. Numerous early detection screening tests have been employed. A wide range of current breast cancer screening methods are reviewed based on a series of searchers focused on clinical testing and performance. The key factors evaluated centre around the trade-offs between accuracy (sensitivity and specificity), operator dependence of results, invasiveness, comfort, time required, and cost. All of these factors affect the quality of the screen, access/eligibility, and/or compliance to screening programs by eligible women. This survey article provides an overview of the working principles, benefits, limitations, performance, and cost of current breast cancer detection techniques. It is based on an extensive literature review focusing on published works reporting the main performance, cost, and comfort/compliance metrics considered. Due to limitations and drawbacks of existing breast cancer screening methods there is a need for better screening methods. Emerging, non-invasive methods offer promise to mitigate the issues particularly around comfort/pain and radiation dose, which would improve compliance and enable all ages to be screened regularly. However, these methods must still undergo significant validation testing to prove they can provide realistic screening alternatives to the current accepted standards.

Trial of feasibility and acceptability of routine low-dose aspirin versus Early Screening Test indicated aspirin for pre-eclampsia prevention (TEST study): a multicentre randomised controlled trial

ObjectiveEvaluate the feasibility and acceptability of routine aspirin in low-risk women, compared with screening-test indicated aspirin for the prevention of pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction.DesignMulticentre open-label feasibility randomised controlled trial.SettingTwo...

Colour Flow Mapping examination: An useful screening test for the early diagnosis of ductus venosus patency in canine newborns.

Ductus venosus (DV) closure plays a key role in hepatic circulation adaptation to postnatal metabolic function, and DV patency might develop a congenital portosystemic shunt (CPSS). The noninvasive Color Flow Mapping (CFM) examination, a validated method to diagnose CPSS in adult dogs, is routinely performed to assess DV closure after birth in humans. This study aimed to describe the feasibility of the ultrasonographic evaluation of the DV after birth and to determine its closure time in healthy Great Dane neonates. Patency of DV in serial Color Flow Mapping (CFM) examinations and bodyweight (BW) were recorded on Days 0-3-6-9 in 24 neonates that were classified as having patent (PDV) or closed ductusvenosus (CDV) basing on CFM signal presence/absence. Since the 3rd day, DV diameter was recorded. Data were analysed by ANOVA (p<0.05). All dogs resulted healthy 1year later. The number of PDV and CDV puppies at birth was not different on Day 3 (24 and 0 vs. 22 and 2, PDV and CDV, respectively), whereas it resulted different on Days 6 (24 and 0 vs. 14 and 10) and 9 (24 and 0 vs. 0 and 24); on Day 3, it was different compared to Days 6 and 9; on Day 6, it was different from Day 9. Reduction of DV diameter resulted positively related to neonatal BW growth. The CFM evaluation of DV closure after birth in Great Dane puppies represents a feasible technique. Present results suggest the time of functional closure in normal neonates within 9days after birth. Thus, CFM examination, as an early screening test for DV patency evaluation, performed 10days after birth, may identify suspicious dogs at risk that would require further investigations. Further studies are needed to deepen the role of a delayed closure in low bodyweight and preterm puppies.

Visual Inspection Test with Acetic Acid for Cervical Cancer Screening: Willingness and Acceptability among Reproductive Age and Married Women

Background: Cervical cancer is a preventable disease, thus early screening test should be performed for early cervical cancer prevention. Previous studies showed that among all of the screening techniques, visual inspection with acetic acid is an alternative, simple safe cervical cancer prevention technique. This study aimed to identify the willingness and acceptability of visual inspection with acetic acid among reproductive age and married women as cervical cancer prevention. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 reproductive age and married women in Jatinangor subdistrict West Java in 2014. A validated questionnaire was used to obtain information about the respondents’s characteristics, risk factors of cervical cancer, willingness and acceptability of Visual Inspection using Acetic Acid Test (VIA). The collected data were presented using tables. Results: Out of 100 respondents, 93% ever heard of cervical cancer, however 79% were aware of cervical cancer. As high as 96% were aware of the importance of cervical cancer screening, however 36% were aware of cervical cancer screening, and 19% were aware of VIA test. While 83% never had previous education on cervical cancer, 91% reported willingness to take part on cervical cancer education and 83% willingness of cervical cancer screening. Noted 17% were non-acceptance of VIA test for future cervical cancer screening due to their busy life and afraid of the outcome result. Conclusions: The majority of reproductive age and married women are willing and accept VIA test for cervical cancer screening.

A case with relapsed transient neonatal diabetes mellitus treated with sulfonylurea, ending chronic insulin requirement.

SummaryWe report a case of a woman with diabetes mellitus caused by a genetic defect in ABCC8-coding sulfonylurea receptor 1 (SUR1), a subunit of the ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channel protein. She was diagnosed with diabetes at 7 days after birth. After intravenous insulin drip for 1 month, her hyperglycaemia remitted. At the age of 13 years, her diabetes relapsed, and after that she had been treated by intensive insulin therapy for 25 years with relatively poor glycaemic control. She was switched to oral sulfonylurea therapy and attained euglycaemia. In addition, her insulin secretory capacity was ameliorated gradually.Learning points:Genetic testing should be considered in any individuals or family with diabetes that occurred within the first year or so of life.Sulfonylurea can achieve good glycaemic control in patients with KATP channel mutations by restoring endogenous insulin secretion, even if they were treated with insulin for decades.Early screening and genetic testing are important to improve the prognosis of patients with neonatal diabetes mellitus arising from ABCC8 or KCNJ11 mutation.

Utility of metabolic profiling of serum in the diagnosis of pregnancy complications

IntroductionCurrently there are no clinical screening tests available to identify pregnancies at risk of developing preeclampsia (PET) and/or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), both of which are associated with abnormal placentation. Metabolic profiling is now a stable analytical platform used in many laboratories and has successfully been used to identify biomarkers associated with various pathological states. MethodsWe used nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) to metabolically profile serum samples collected from 143 pregnant women at 26–41 weeks gestation with pregnancy outcomes of PET, IUGR, PET IUGR or small for gestational age (SGA) that were age-matched to normal pre/term pregnancies. ResultsSpectral analysis found no difference in the measured metabolites from normal term, pre-term and SGA samples, and of 25 identified metabolites, only glutamate was marginally different between groups. Of the identified metabolites, 3-methylhistidine, creatinine, acetyl groups and acetate, were determined to be independent predictors of PET and produced area under the curves (AUC) = 0.938 and 0.936 for the discovery and validation sets. Only 3-hydroxybutyrate was determined to be an independent predictor of IUGR, however the model had low predictive power (AUC = 0.623 and 0.581 for the discovery and validation sets). ConclusionsA sub-panel of metabolites had strong predictive power for identifying PET samples in a validation dataset, however prediction of IUGR was more difficult using the identified metabolites. NMR based metabolomics can identify metabolites strongly associated with disease and has the potential to be useful in developing early clinical screening tests for at risk pregnancies.

Low dose aspirin for preventing fetal growth restriction: a randomised trial.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate when in pregnancy to stop the administration of low dose aspirin (150 mg/daily) so as to prevent fetal growth restriction (FGR) A randomised, placebo-controlled study was designed. The patients were all screened positive using the Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) early pregnancy screening test for preeclampsia (PE) and FGR prediction. One hundred and fifty patients were enrolled and divided equally into three groups: A – the controls who received placebo treatment; B – those who received aspirin till 32 weeks of gestation and C – those who received aspirin till 36 weeks of gestation. The mean gestational age at enrollment was similar for all the groups (12.4 weeks). The growth curves, fetal and maternal Doppler measurements and amniotic fluid index (AFI) were monitored every 4 weeks. Also, the outcome of the pregnancy was noted and all the results were compared between the groups. FGR was defined as a fetal weight below the 10th centile for gestational age. In group C, there were less cases of FGR compared with the other groups: 6% vs. 10% in group B vs. 24% in controls. Also, there was a significant birth weight improvement in this group with a median of 3180 g compared with 2950 g in group B and 2760 g in group A (P=0.01). The gestational age at delivery was similar in all the groups (39 weeks in group C/39.2 weeks in group B/38.6 weeks in group A). In conclusion, low dose aspirin improves the outcome in the selected population and should be offered for prevention of FGR from 12 to 36 weeks.

Multifunctional microfluidic chip for optical nanoprobe based RNA detection \u2013 application to Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Many diseases have their treatment options narrowed and end up being fatal if detected during later stages. As a consequence, point-of-care devices have an increasing importance for routine screening applications in the health sector due to their portability, fast analyses and decreased cost. For that purpose, a multifunctional chip was developed and tested using gold nanoprobes to perform RNA optical detection inside a microfluidic chip without the need of molecular amplification steps. As a proof-of-concept, this device was used for the rapid detection of chronic myeloid leukemia, a hemato-oncological disease that would benefit from early stage diagnostics and screening tests. The chip passively mixed target RNA from samples, gold nanoprobes and saline solution to infer a result from their final colorimetric properties. An optical fiber network was used to evaluate its transmitted spectra inside the chip. Trials provided accurate output results within 3 min, yielding signal-to-noise ratios up to 9 dB. When compared to actual state-of-art screening techniques of chronic myeloid leukemia, these results were, at microscale, at least 10 times faster than the reported detection methods for chronic myeloid leukemia. Concerning point-of-care applications, this work paves the way for other new and more complex versions of optical based genosensors.

Henomenology of Pregnancy and the Ethics of Abortion

In this article I investigate the ways in which phenomenology could guide our views on the rights and/or wrongs of abortion. To my knowledge, very few phenomenologists have directed their attention to this issue, although quite a few have strived to better understand and articulate the strongly related themes of pregnancy and birth, most often in the context of feminist philosophy. After introducing the ethical and political contemporary debate concerning abortion, I introduce phenomenology in the context of medicine, and the way phenomenologists have understood the human body as lived and experienced by its owner. I turn then to the issue of pregnancy and discuss how the embryo or foetus could appear for us, particularly from the perspective of the pregnant woman, and what such showing up would mean from an ethical perspective. The way medical technology has changed the experience of pregnancy –for the pregnant woman, as well as for the father and/or other close ones– is discussed, particularly the implementation of early obstetric ultra-sound screening and blood test (NIPT) for Down’s syndrome and other medical defects. I conclude the article by suggesting that phenomenology can help us to negotiate a higher time-limit for legal abortion and, also, provide ways to determine which embryo-foetus defects to look for, and in which cases these should be looked upon as good reasons for performing an abortion.

Estimating Cost Savings from Early Cancer Diagnosis

We estimate treatment cost-savings from early cancer diagnosis. For breast, lung, prostate and colorectal cancers and melanoma, which account for more than 50% of new incidences projected in 2017, we combine published cancer treatment cost estimates by stage with incidence rates by stage at diagnosis. We extrapolate to other cancer sites by using estimated national expenditures and incidence rates. A rough estimate for the U.S. national annual treatment cost-savings from early cancer diagnosis is in 11 digits. Using this estimate and cost-neutrality, we also estimate a rough upper bound on the cost of a routine early cancer screening test.

A study on multi drug resistant tuberculosis at Sree Mookambika Institute of Medical Sciences

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Resistance to antitubercular drugs has been noted since the drugs were first introduced, and occasionally outbreaks of drug-resistant tuberculosis have been reported worldwide. WHO emphasizes that good TB control prevents the emergence of drug resistance in the first place and that the proper treatment of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis prevents the emergence of XDR-TB. The objectives of the study were to examine the sputum samples regarding MDR-TB, to study the grading regarding sputum positive and to study the multi-drug resistance tuberculosis in Sree Mookambika Institute of Medical sciences.Methods: Study design was cross-sectional, Study duration was January 2016-March 2017. Study place was Sree Mookambika Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital, Kulasekharam. Sample size was 400. Data entered in MS-Office Word- 2016. Institutional ethical committee clearance was obtained. Results: In present study 54.86% patient had sputum AFB positive, 45.13% had sputum AFB negative smears. 75% of the sputum AFB positive pulmonary TB came under the age group between 20-60 and 25% above 60 yrs. 78.24% males, 21.75% females had sputum AFB smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis and 43.73% patients had positive sputum culture, 56.26% patients had negative sputum culture and the most common strain found was Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Conclusions: So from our study we found that Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the major strain isolated from sputum samples. The resistance is more to Isoniazid and Rifampicin and is more in the rural parts of India. Early screening and drug susceptibility test of culture positive and MTB cases will help in initiating treatment of MDR-TB.

Phenomenology of pregnancy and the ethics of abortion

In this article I investigate the ways in which phenomenology could guide our views on the rights and/or wrongs of abortion. To my knowledge very few phenomenologists have directed their attention toward this issue, although quite a few have strived to better understand and articulate the strongly related themes of pregnancy and birth, most often in the context of feminist philosophy. After introducing the ethical and political contemporary debate concerning abortion, I introduce phenomenology in the context of medicine and the way phenomenologists have understood the human body to be lived and experienced by its owner. I then turn to the issue of pregnancy and discuss how the embryo or foetus could appear for us, particularly from the perspective of the pregnant woman, and what such showing up may mean from an ethical perspective. The way medical technology has changed the experience of pregnancy—for the pregnant woman as well as for the father and/or other close ones—is discussed, particularly the implementation of early obstetric ultra-sound screening and blood tests (NIPT) for Down’s syndrome and other medical defects. I conclude the article by suggesting that phenomenology can help us to negotiate an upper time limit for legal abortion and, also, provide ways to determine what embryo–foetus defects to look for and in which cases these should be looked upon as good reasons for performing an abortion.

Abstract LB-127: Progastrin: a specific early cancer screening biomarker and a breakthrough innovative cancer target

Abstract Background and aims: Because we are lacking effective screening tests, most cancers are detected in late stages, when survival rates are very low. Furthermore, despite the recent approval of targeted therapies, chemotherapy remains the cornerstone of treatment for patients suffering from these late stage cancers, such as metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) regardless of very low survival. Here, we show the development of the first early cancer screening test for multiple cancers using progastrin as biomarker and of the First-in-class immunotherapeutic humanized monoclonal antibody targeting progastrin and describe its therapeutic efficiency in colorectal cancer. Methods: Monoclonal antibodies of murine or humanized origin directed against progastrin were produced and selected for target specificity and affinity. Selected antibodies were either used to set up an ELISA sandwich to detect progastrin in the blood of patients with various types of cancers or validated depending on their effectiveness to regulate tumor cell growth, death and invasion in CRC cell lines mutated for BRAF or KRAS. In vitro and in vivo quantification of their efficacy was assessed, alone or concomitantly with chemotherapy, on cancer stem cells (CSCs) self-renewal capacity, tumor recurrence and Wnt signaling. Results: Increased levels of progastrin were detected in the blood of patients with various types of cancers even at early stages. Furthermore, in CRC, a boost of progastrin was detected in patients treated with chemotherapy as well as in CRC cells after chemotherapy and hypoxia-promoting conditions exposure, confirming the relevance of targeting progastrin in CRC patients under treatment. Humanized progastrin antibodies produced an intense decrease of self-renewal of CSCs both in vitro and in vivo, either alone or concomitantly with chemotherapy. Chemosensitivity was prolonged significantly and post-treatment relapse was delayed significantly as well in mice who had received multiple rounds of chemotherapy in progastrin antibody treatment conditions. Furthermore, the Wnt signaling activity in vitro was decreased, the tumor burden was alleviated, and there was an amplification in tumor differentiation in the intestine of Wnt-driven transgenic mouse neoplasia mice, all due to progastrin antibodies. Finally, 20 weeks of treatment with progastrin antibodies did not induce any alteration of organs or behavior in the treated mice. Conclusion: Taken together, the results presented here show that using progastrin as a biomarker for early cancer screening is an outstanding opportunity and that humanized progastrin antibodies alongside chemotherapy represent an extremely useful therapeutic tool allowing to target cancer stem cells while reducing the recurrence of tumors in advanced CRC. Citation Format: Alexandre Prieur, Dominique Joubert. Progastrin: a specific early cancer screening biomarker and a breakthrough innovative cancer target [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-127. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-LB-127