London: An at-home urine test currently being trialed by the NHS has shown promising results, detecting over nine in ten cases of bladder cancer. The latest findings from the study, published in European Urology Oncology, indicate that the test could potentially spare tens of thousands of patients from undergoing invasive procedures each year.
According to Ghana Web, the study was led by the University of Birmingham in collaboration with the diagnostics company Nonacus. It involved nearly 1,000 patients across seven hospitals in England and Scotland. Researchers are hopeful that if larger trials are successful, the test could significantly reduce the number of patients needing urgent cystoscopies, a procedure that involves inserting a small camera into the bladder via the urethra.
More than 300,000 cystoscopies are performed annually in the UK, and there are significant waiting lists in some regions. Although the urine test is not intended to replace cystoscopies, it could help doctors prioritize patients at greater risk, ensuring they receive urgent procedures sooner.
The NHS trial found that the Galeas urine test successfully identified 92% of bladder cancer cases. A negative result from the test meant there was more than a 99% chance that a patient did not have bladder cancer. The test works by detecting genetic material shed into the urine by bladder cancer, specifically looking for over 450 DNA mutations associated with the disease across 23 genes.
Professor Richard Bryan, a co-author of the study from the University of Birmingham, expressed excitement about the promising early performance of the test in a large real-world patient population. Under a licensing agreement, Nonacus has commercialized the test, with part of the revenue being returned to the University and Cancer Research UK (CRUK).
Michelle Mitchell from CRUK emphasized the importance of finding faster and less invasive methods for diagnosing or ruling out cancer, noting that too many people experience prolonged waiting times for a bladder cancer diagnosis. While acknowledging that further research is needed, she highlighted the test's potential to improve diagnostic processes.
Bladder cancer is more prevalent in men over the age of 60, with blood in the urine being its primary symptom. The seriousness of bladder cancer depends on the tumor's size and whether it has metastasized to other parts of the body. Early detection and treatment are crucial for improving patient outcomes.