The Fecal M2-PK As A Novel Biomarker for Screening of Cancer Colon

Background: Cancer colon is one of most common cancers worldwide. Colonoscopy; an
invasive and costly investigation method is the most reliable tool for diagnosis. Early
diagnosis of cancer colon gives a high chance of cure. Fecal M2-PK; a tumor biomarker is
a new approach for cancer colon screening. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate fecal
M2-PK as a biomarker for cancer colon screening. Methods: This comparative crosssectional
study included 3 groups: 30 healthy individuals (Group Ι), 50 diagnosed cancer
colon patients (Group П) and 20 cancer colon patients who were the only operable patient
from Group П (Group III). For all groups, history and physical examination was done.
Fecal M2-PK concentrations were detected by ELISA. Results: The study revealed that
there was a significant difference between cancer colon patients and healthy individuals
(control) regarding age (p=0.046*), BMI (p=0.004*), history of smoking (p=0.025*),
history of low fiber and high protein diet (p=0.001*), and levels of M2-PK (p=0.001*).
There was a significant difference in the mean value of M2PK levels in relation to sex
(p=0.043*) and site of cancer colon (p=0.002*) only. Cancer colon can be detected with
fecal M2-PK with remarkable sensitivity &specificity (98% and 93% respectively). The
overall accuracy of M2PK in detecting cancer colon was 96.6%. Conclusion: Fecal M2-
PK is considered as a good screening biomarker for cancer colon.