Urine Test Predicts About Prostate Cancer

With the advancement of technology, the medical industry has flourished with advanced medical equipment and tests. Among others, urine test has become a key player in identifying several serious illnesses, including cancer. It has been proved that a sample of urine can identify the risk of prostate cancer among men more appropriate than that of a blood. Furthermore, the use of urine can give you information about the possible aggression of the tumour. According to a research presented at the Genitourinary Cancer Symposium (GUCS) in San Francisco in 2010, a urine test that can detect prostate cancer cells, have the ability to reveal cancer more aptly after a biopsy.

Until recent times, apart from blood tests, tissue biopsy was the only possible way to detect prostate cancer, which is a very painful procedure. The biopsy results in a lot of bleeding and infection, and at times could be fatal too. Reports show that men with high PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) level are often advised to have a biopsy, even though a huge sum does not have cancer at all. So, a lot of men are suffering unnecessarily by having to go through these painful biopsies. To help men out of this misery, Exosome Diagnostics of Cambridge, MA, came out with the brilliant idea of a urine based test to detect prostate cancer. The test known as the ExoDx TM Prostate (Intelli Score) is designed in a way that it does not require any digital rectal exam before collecting the samples. It detects RNA from genes that have connection with the progression of prostate cancer. The RNA detected during the process is then encapsulated in lipid membrane structures known as exosomes, which are discharged by cancer cells into the urine. Although the research was successful, the diagnostic, who introduced the test, is yet to get FDA approval following other clinical trials.

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men all around the world. Researchers stated that almost two million men had to undergo painful tissue biopsies every year. So, urine test report can change the entire scenario and people will be more relaxed to do a less painful biopsy. With this development, we can hope to see a new light in the treatment of prostate cancer.