First on CNN: Routine blood testing may hold hidden clues to colorectal cancer before age 45
A new analysis from Epic Research suggests an association between lower levels of liver enzymes AST and ALT and an increased risk of early-onset colorectal cancer in adults under 45. Researchers emphasize that this is a correlation rather than a causal link and advise against panic or changes to current screening protocols.
Why it matters
Understanding early indicators for colorectal cancer in younger populations is critical as diagnosis rates for the disease continue to rise in this demographic.
Lower levels of liver enzymes were linked to greater risk of early-onset colorectal cancer in a new analysis, but it's an association, not a cause, researchers say. - FluxFactory/E+/Getty Images/File When you have blood drawn in a routine doctor's visit, some of the markers that get tested could hold unexpected clues to how likely you are to develop colorectal cancer at a young age, new research suggests.
Adults younger than 45 who had lower levels of two liver enzymes – aspartate transaminase, or AST, and alanine transaminase, or ALT – were more likely to be diagnosed with early-onset colorectal cancer compared with their peers in an analysis released Wednesday by Epic Research , which is owned by the health-care software company Epic.
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