A urine test for prostate cancer has proved to be far more accurate at detecting the most common form of cancer in men than the current blood tests used.
The new technique is now the ‘prime candidate’ for potential clinical trials, raising hopes that for the first time, a routine screening could be possible.
The new method tests for protein shed by prostate tumours that can be detected in urine The Times reported.
It is being evaluated in a trial hoping to revolutionise how cases are identified – it will enrol 250,000 to 300,000 British men in the next eight years.
The new test achieved an AUC score of 0.92 when used on stored samples from prostate cancer patients, according to a study published in the journal Cancer Research.
The score was a significant improvement from standard prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing which usually has an AUC between 0.65 to 0.75.
Currently, more than 12,000 men die from prostate cancer per year in the UK, with more than 52,000 cases diagnosed annually.
Recently, calls for routine screening have intensified after Olympic cyclist, Sir Chris Hoy shared the news of his terminal prostate cancer diagnosis last year.
Recently, calls for routine screening have intensified after Olympic cyclist, Sir Chris Hoy (pictured) shared the news of his terminal prostate cancer diagnosis last year
File image: A urine test for prostate cancer has proved to be far more accurate at detecting the most common form of cancer in men than the current blood tests used
However, experts agree that at present, testing methods are not accurate enough for screenings.
The current PSA tests are known for their limited accuracy, leading to false positives and unnecessary biopsies as well as missed diagnoses.
However, the new tests can not only detect the presence of prostate cancer with high precision but can also indicate disease severity.
Only once a large clinical trial is rolled out will experts know if it performs well in the real-world.
Professor Rakesh Heer, chair of urology at Imperial College and part of the Transform study team, told The Times that the £42 million project was the most important diagnosis trial in decades.
It could prove ‘a game changer’ for prostate cancer research as a whole, he added.
Mikael Benson of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, who led the study, said: ‘New, more precise biomarkers than PSA can lead to earlier diagnoses and better prognoses for men with prostate cancer. They could also reduce the number of unnecessary prostate biopsies carried out on healthy men.’
