A new, highly accurate testing service set to transform bowel cancer detection will be available in the UK within weeks. 

 

The BC95 service, launched by Cambridge-based digital diagnostics company EDX Medical, promises unprecedented accuracy and sensitivity, including assessment of hereditary genetic risk.

 

Described as the “most advanced and accurate colorectal testing solution ever offered in the UK,” BC95 can detect bowel cancer with over 95% sensitivity across stages 1 to 4 and identify pre-cancerous adenomas with around 60% sensitivity.

 

Using a combination of blood and faecal samples, the service examines key biomarkers, including hereditary genetic status. Patients also receive pre-test counselling for hereditary risk, with all results delivered to their healthcare provider for clinical follow-up.

 

Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths globally, with 44,000 new UK cases each year. On average, someone in the UK is diagnosed every 10 minutes, and every 30 minutes a patient dies. Alarmingly, current screening methods miss 75% of new cases.

 

Professor Sir Chris Evans, founder of EDX Medical, said: 'We are delighted to be providing a service in the UK that will take the testing for bowel cancer - Britain’s second biggest cancer killer – to a new level in terms of accuracy and reliability. The various elements of our service provide a very comprehensive testing package that has been thoroughly validated in the clinic and will not only improve vital early detection but also highlight hereditary risk.”

 

Dr Mike Hudson, CEO of EDX Medical, added: “There is growing demand for highly accurate testing solutions for the early detection of bowel and colon cancer in the UK, where late detection of the disease remains a significant cause of premature death. Our new service provides diagnostic tools which enable an assessment of hereditary risk and reliable, early detection when treatment options and outcomes are favourable.”

 

The service incorporates the UK’s first epigenetic colorectal cancer biomarker test, EarlyTect C, developed in collaboration with Genomictree of South Korea. The test measures SDC2 gene methylation, a marker frequently found in early-stage colorectal cancer tissues. In a trial of 1,124 asymptomatic patients, the test achieved 95% sensitivity across stages 1–4, 89.1% for early-stage cancers, and 58.1% for advanced adenomatous polyps.

 

BC95 also includes existing testing methods such as qFIT, allowing clinicians to guide further diagnostics like colonoscopy or CT colonography. For individuals with a family history of colorectal cancer, the service can inform lifestyle choices and the recommended frequency of testing. The hereditary risk component features comprehensive pre- and post-test genetic counselling, helping patients access public and private resources if a positive result is found.