Abstract: Provided is a colorectal cancer inspection method by which the presence of early colorectal cancer at any one of stages from 0 to 2 can be accurately determined. The colorectal cancer inspection method includes: measuring the amounts of at least lactic acid, pyruvic acid, and glycolic acid among a plurality of kinds of in vivo metabolites contained in a biological sample collected from a test subject, based on data obtained by performing a chromatograph-MS/MS analysis on the biological sample; and determining the presence of colorectal cancer at any one of stages from 0 to 2, based on a measurement value of at least one of the lactic acid, the pyruvic acid, and the glycolic acid.

Abstract: At least one stable isotope reagent is added to each biological sample and standard sample to prepare biological samples for analysis and standard sample for analysis. The quality of the biological samples is evaluated using data of one set of biological samples for analysis composed of a plurality of biological samples for analysis. Besides, the quality of a pretreatment and/or analysis of each set of samples for analysis is evaluated using data obtained by analyzing the standard sample for analysis before and after an analysis of one set of samples for analysis. An abnormality in a chromatograph or mass analyzer used for the analysis of one set of samples is evaluated by the data obtained by analyzing a sample for device evaluation before and after the analysis of one set of samples for analysis. Thus, the quality of data obtained by chromatographic mass spectrometry on biological samples is comprehensively evaluated.

Abstract: In a mass spectrometry method for performing a qualitative and/or quantitative determination of an analyte compound contained in a sample, using a mass chromatogram acquired for one or a plurality of ions selected as a reference ion from the ions produced from the analyte compound, the present method includes the steps of: setting one or a plurality of reference-ion candidates for each of the one or a plurality of reference ions; acquiring a mass chromatogram of the sample for each of the set reference-ion candidates; calculating a shape similarity between a peak appearing at a predetermined position on the mass chromatogram and a preset model peak; and designating, as the reference ion, a reference-ion candidate corresponding to a peak having the shape similarity equal to or higher than a predetermined value.