Title: A simplified multiplex methylated DNA testing for early detection of colorectal cancer
in stool DNA
Version: 0 Date: 25 Jul 2022
Reviewer's report:
The manuscript highlights new changes introduced in a stool test ColoDefense that improves
its sensitivity for cancer detection.
A few comments/questions for the authors that need for be addressed before accepting.
1- Section 2.1.  What were the basis for selecting the subjects?  Were they symptomatic at
enrollment?
2- It is noted in Table 1 that the age median between cases and controls differ by 12 years.  This
is crucial as it is known that methylation increases with age. The authors did not address this
in the text and chose to skip over it.
I recommend that the authors show a plot of age distributions between cases and controls and
redo the analysis excluding controls that skew the age difference and show if this makes the
performance worse or stay the same.  This needs to be added to the paper.
Title: A simplified multiplex methylated DNA testing for early detection of colorectal cancer
in stool DNA
Version: 0 Date: 25 Jul 2022
Reviewer's report:
The manuscript highlights new changes introduced in a stool test ColoDefense that improves
its sensitivity for cancer detection.
A few comments/questions for the authors that need for be addressed before accepting.
1- Section 2.1.  What were the basis for selecting the subjects?  Were they symptomatic at
enrollment?
2- It is noted in Table 1 that the age median between cases and controls differ by 12 years.  This
is crucial as it is known that methylation increases with age. The authors did not address this
in the text and chose to skip over it.
I recommend that the authors show a plot of age distributions between cases and controls and
redo the analysis excluding controls that skew the age difference and show if this makes the
performance worse or stay the same.  This needs to be added to the paper.
Please review this paper.
user
Title: A simplified multiplex methylated DNA testing for early detection of colorectal cancer
in stool DNA
Version: 0 Date: 25 Jul 2022
Reviewer's report:
The manuscript highlights new changes introduced in a stool test ColoDefense that improves
its sensitivity for cancer detection.
A few comments/questions for the authors that need for be addressed before accepting.
1- Section 2.1.  What were the basis for selecting the subjects?  Were they symptomatic at
enrollment?
2- It is noted in Table 1 that the age median between cases and controls differ by 12 years.  This
is crucial as it is known that methylation increases with age. The authors did not address this
in the text and chose to skip over it.
I recommend that the authors show a plot of age distributions between cases and controls and
redo the analysis excluding controls that skew the age difference and show if this makes the
performance worse or stay the same.  This needs to be added to the paper.
assistant