A SIMPLE urine test can detect nine out of ten bladder cancers, according to results from an NHS trial.
It could be done at home and save tens of thousands of patients per year from the discomfort of having a tube inserted into their bladder.
Around 20,000 people per year are diagnosed with the cancer, making it one of the most common types, and more than 300,000 are tested.
Doctors typically insert a long, thin camera tube up the urethra to look inside the bladder for signs of a tumour – a procedure called a cystoscopy.
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But NHS trial results from the University of Birmingham suggest many patients could be diagnosed simply by peeing into a cup.
The Galeas test analyses DNA in the urine to try and find pieces that have broken off a cancerous tumour.
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In a study conducted at seven NHS clinics, the test correctly identified 71 of the 77 patients who had cancer out of 962 who were tested.
That means it had 92 per cent accuracy compared to standard testing.
It detected 100 per cent of the high risk muscle-invasive cancers, and 97 per cent of high-grade faster growing tumours.
The test also had a 100 per cent success rate at detecting blood in the urine that was invisible to the naked eye.
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Blood in the pee is the main symptom of bladder cancer, with others including pain during urination, needing to pee more often, losing weight or pain in the lower back or tummy.
Trial leader Professor Richard Bryan, from the University of Birmingham, said: “We have spent many years developing the science behind detecting bladder cancer through DNA in urine.
“This study shows that very promising early performance has now been reproduced in a large real-world patient population.
“The results are very significant for clinical practice.
“Only eight per cent of patients in the study were ultimately diagnosed with bladder cancer, which highlights the challenge of large numbers of patients [needing tests] despite most not having cancer.”
Prof Bryan said the test would not completely replace cystoscopies but could help to speed up testing for people most likely to have cancer.
He said it could one day be used both for patients suspected of having bladder cancer and also those with no symptoms but a high risk.
Lee Silcock, chief product officer at Nonacus which developed the test, added: “What matters most is identifying those most likely to have cancer sooner.”
What is bladder cancer?
Bladder cancer is where a tumour develops in the bladder lining, sometimes spreading into the muscle too.
The most common symptom of bladder cancer is blood in urine.
If you notice blood in your urine, even if it comes and goes, you should visit your GP, so the cause can be looked into.
Less common symptoms of the disease include:
- A need to urinate on a more frequent basis
- Sudden urges to urinate
- A burning sensation when peeing
About 10,000 people are diagnosed with bladder cancer every year and it’s the 11th most common cancer in the UK.
Most cases of appear to be caused by exposure to harmful substances, which lead to abnormal changes in the bladder’s cells over many years.
Tobacco smoke is a common cause and it’s estimated that more than one in three cases of bladder cancer are caused by smoking.
Contact with certain chemicals previously used in manufacturing is also known to cause bladder cancer.
However, these substances have since been banned.
Source: NHS