Metabolic fingerprints ‘can help to assess bowel cancer’

Scientists have determined a potential new means of assessing the development of bowel cancer cases by studying their metabolic footprint.

A team from Imperial College London have carried out a study which revealed that doctors could use metabolic fingerprinting alongside existing imaging technology to provide a more accurate analysis of tumours.

Metabolic fingerprinting looks at the levels of many different metabolites – products of chemical reactions in the body's cells that change as cancer develops – in a sample of blood, urine or tissue.

The research revealed that tumours take on unique metabolic properties as they become more advanced, meaning this technique could help to provide additional information beyond what can be gleaned through conventional imaging.

Study lead Dr Reza Mirnezami, of the department of surgery and cancer at Imperial College London, said: "Our research suggests that using metabolic fingerprinting techniques in addition to scanning could give us the clearest possible picture of how the cancer is progressing."

Bowel cancer is the third most common type of cancer in England, with the majority of cases affecting those over the age of 65.