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Publisher: Peytchinski Publishing Ltd.
ISSN: 1312-773X (Online)
Issue: 2026, vol. 32, issue3
Subject Area: Medicine
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DOI: 10.5272/jimab.2026323.7076
Published online: 3 September 2026
Original article
J of IMAB. 2026 Jul-Sep;32(3):7076-7080
NON-INVASIVE SCREENING METHODS FOR EARLY DETECTION OF COLORECTAL CANCER
Dilyana Petrova1
, Dimitar Stoykov2, Zornitsa Gorcheva1,
1) Department of Nephrology, Haematology and Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University – Pleven, Bulgaria.
2) Department of Surgical Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University – Pleven, Bulgaria.
ABSTRACT:
Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CC) is the third most common cause of cancer worldwide. Common symptoms of CC (change in bowel physiology, rectal bleeding, and weight loss) present late in the course of the disease and have low positive predictive value (3-4%). The most important prognostic factor is the stage of the disease at diagnosis; therefore, screening for CC is important for people ≥60 years of age.
Objective: To determine the importance of faecal calprotectin (FCP) and M2-pyruvate kinase (M2-PK) values for the early diagnosis of CC with different localization.
Material and Methods: A total of 90 participants were prospectively studied, divided into three groups as follows: 30 patients with colorectal carcinoma (target group), 30 patients with chronic organic disease of the gastrointestinal tract, and 30 patients with irritable bowel syndrome (control groups). All subjects were admitted or visited the University Hospital "Dr G. Stranski" – Pleven. The values of FCP and M2-PK were examined in all of them.
Results: There is a significantly different degree of correlation between the values of FCP and M2-PK – in 85% of patients with colorectal carcinoma they are elevated, and in 50% of patients with irritable bowel syndrome, compared between the two groups and compared to participants in the control group.
Conclusions: The present study shows that both faecal M2-PK and calprotectin levels can contribute to the early, noninvasive detection of colorectal cancer. These markers may serve as useful screening tools, especially in asymptomatic individuals, and help prioritize patients for further endoscopic investigation.
Keywords: colorectal cancer, M2-pyruvate kinase, fecal calprotectin, non-invasive methods,
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Please cite this article as: Petrova D, Stoykov D, Gorcheva Z. Non-invasive Screening Methods for Early Detection of Colorectal Cancer. J of IMAB. 2026 Jul-Sep;32(3):7076-7080. [Crossref - 10.5272/jimab.2026323.7076]
Correspondence to: Dilyana Petrova, Department of Nephrology, Haematology and Gastroenterology, Medical University - Pleven; 1, St. Kliment Ohridski Str., 5800, Pleven, Bulgaria. E-mail: dilqna.stefanova1988@abv.bg
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Received: 28 January 2026
Published online: 3 September 2026