A preliminary assessment of a stool-based microRNA profile for early colorectal cancer screening

Colorectal cancer screening methods are well established worldwide as a fundamental pilar in CRC management, namely through non-invasive faecal occult blood testing. However, the limited sensitivity of faecal occult blood test for detecting precancerous lesions highlights the need to search for alternative tools, such as microRNAs (miRs). The main aim of this study was to identify stool-based miR profiles for early colorectal cancer detection. A panel with miR-21-5p, miR-199a-5p, and age showed a moderate performance for colorectal cancer detection (sensitivity: 88%). Additionally, miR-451a, miR-21-5p, miR-199a-5p, age, and gender showed high performance for discriminating high-grade dysplasia lesions (sensitivity: 91%). Moreover, when we obtained a positive result in either panel, we achieved a sensitivity of 96% for high-grade dysplasia lesions identification. Finally, when a negative result was obtained in these panels after a positive faecal occult blood test result, we accurately identified individuals without lesions. These findings demonstrate the potential of miR panels as non-invasive biomarkers for colorectal cancer and high-grade dysplasia lesions detection and could constitute a secondary screening method following a positive faecal occult blood test.