British researchers have developed a new genetic test that can detect bladder cancer from a routine urine sample with more than 99% accuracy, infohub.kz reports.
Bladder cancer is among the ten most common cancers worldwide. The main symptom is blood in the urine, but standard diagnosis requires a complex and unpleasant procedure involving a thin camera inserted into the body. Because of the high risk of discomfort and long waits for appointments, many patients delay seeing a doctor.
The new British development allows the disease to be identified at the earliest stages without painful medical interventions. The test checks a urine sample for specific proteins and traces of 23 genes linked to tumor development.
The study involved nearly a thousand patients. The test correctly identified the absence of dangerous pathologies in almost 100% of cases, and also detected the disease in 71 of 77 patients who had it.
The main advantage of the method is its accessibility and safety for people. Testing can even be performed on urine samples collected for other purposes, which could accidentally detect tumors in at-risk patients. Doctors hope that the introduction of this technology will spare thousands of people from unpleasant procedures and significantly reduce hospital queues.