Colorectal cancer may be detected in its early stages with a new urine test. Made in Canada, the test relies on a process known as "metabolomics," which is the analysis of the chemical fingerprints left behind by cellular processes in the body--in this case, the changes of normal cells into cancerous ones. The test identifies cancer cell waste products that are excreted into the urine by small polyps and tumors. The test was over 80 percent effective in clinical trials. The test is being looked at as a less invasive, more convenient method of screening. While it isn't likely that it will replace colonoscopies as the definitive form of colon cancer screening, it will allow doctors to make more educated guesses as to which patients should get the more conclusive test.

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