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02
Jul 2019
New urine test offers hope to prostate cancer patients
Following trials, researchers have revealed an experimental urine test, which is able to predict whether men with the early stages of prostate cancer may need aggressive therapy or can be left monitored but untreated.
The new prostate urine risk (PUR) test works by searching for genetic markers in order to give a more accurate assessment.
Current PSA (prostate-specific antigen) tests are unable to do this, meaning many patients experience unnecessary treatment and investigation. They are also unreliable, with three in four men who receive a positive test ultimately being found not to have cancer following a biopsy.
The PSA tests also miss cancer in around 15 per cent of patients.
Lead researcher Shea Connell, said a more extensive trial was now being planned.
Mr Connell said “Prostate cancer is more commonly a disease men die with rather than from.
“Unfortunately, we currently lack the ability to tell which men diagnosed with prostate cancer will need radical treatment and which men will not.
“A policy of ‘active surveillance’ has been developed as a way to combat this uncertainty but it requires invasive follow-ups and constant reminders that a patient has a cancer with an uncertain natural history.
“This results in up to 50% of men on active surveillance self-electing for treatment – whether they need it or not.
“It’s clear that there is a considerable need for additional, more accurate, tests.”
Prostate Cancer UK’s Dr David Montgomery, said “More research now needs to be done to see how accurate this is compared to the newer, non-invasive methods being offered, such as multi-parametric MRI scans.”
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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
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