A new prostate cancer test has been developed by scientists and this could involve collecting a urine sample at home.
3D illustration of a cancer cell and lymphocytes./Getty Images
Experts hope that this will be a game changer in diagnosis of the potentially fatal disease by creating an at-home collection kit.Those who use the kit would then post the sample off for analysis.
The Prostate Urine Risk (PUR) test is for men suspected of having prostate cancer, and is much more sensitive than current methods.
It picks up how aggressive the disease is, at what point men will need treatment, and rules out those who do not have prostate cancer.
The test cuts down the need for other procedures, including biopsies, blood tests, a physical examination known as a digital rectal examination, or an MRI scan.
It is also suitable for men already diagnosed with low-risk disease who are on a “watch and wait” approach known as active surveillance.
For these men, the test could cut follow-up appointments from once every year to once every two to three years.
The urine test was created by experts from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.
The scientists say they have now developed the test further so urine samples can be collected at home.
This means men do not have to go into the clinic to provide a urine sample or to undergo a rectal exam.
The scientists say this is an important step because the first urine of the day provides bio-marker levels from the prostate that are much higher and more consistent than at other times.
