Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among males, behind only skin cancer. It is estimated that one in nine males will receive that diagnosis during his lifetime. Help is on the way, though: a recently developed urine test may diagnose prostate cancer accurately and non-invasively.
There has been a lot of confusion and discord in the medical community about prostate cancer diagnosis, as well as treatment. PSA (prostate-specific antigen) tests, which are favored by many urologists, are thought by others to have too many false-positives. Each time a PSA is elevated and concern for cancer is present, many patients opt for a biopsy. According to the National Cancer Institute, only 25% of patients undergoing a biopsy, after an abnormal PSA level, actually have prostate cancer.
Unfortunately, also, the biopsies themselves can result in harm, and often turn out to be negative despite an abnormally high PSA. Biopsies of the prostate can also miss cancer cells and thus delay a diagnosis.
A digital rectal exam of the prostate can provide valuable information, but only one part of the prostate can be felt during the exam. It is also quite subjective, with doctors often uncertain whether the size or “bumpiness” of the prostate justifies a more invasive test or a biopsy.
CTs and MRIs can sometimes provide valuable imaging information, but are also not definitive diagnostic methods.
Recently, researcher have identified a unique molecular signature of prostate cancer in urine. The results are tentative, but the researchers, including some at Johns Hopkins, are encouraged that this may lead to an accurate, noninvasive test for the condition.
Male urine contains a small amount of cells shed from different parts of the urinary tract, including the prostate. Scientists can isolate, process, and analyze these cells using various molecular techniques.
Using mass spectrometry to measure metabolites in the urine allowed the researchers to identify cancer from non-malignant prostate conditions. They also concluded that this testing might be used to determine how advanced the prostate cancer was.
The researchers cautioned that this was a “proof-of-principle study” and that larger studies would be necessary to validate the test before it is ready for clinical use. However, the hope is that these findings might lead to new treatments for prostate cancer based on the metabolic changes identified in the urine test.
Read the press release from Johns Hopkins with a link to the study here: Researchers Announce Progress in Developing an Accurate, Noninvasive Urine Test For Prostate Cancer
Read coverage of PSA screening here: New prostate cancer test promises fewer false positives, more accuracy in detecting cancer that needs treatment; New prostate cancer screening guidelines gain acceptance, if not clarity
