A new international study suggests that a simple urine test could help doctors detect prostate cancer early.
The research was led by scientists from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, Imperial College London in the UK, and Xiyuan Hospital in China.
The team used artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced analysis of gene activity in prostate tumors to find new signs of cancer, called biomarkers.
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men and one of the top causes of death for men worldwide. One major challenge has been finding accurate ways to detect the cancer early. Right now, doctors often use a blood test called PSA, but it is not always reliable.
In this new study, the researchers looked at the activity of thousands of genes in individual cells from prostate tumors. They also knew exactly where the cancer was in each sample and how serious it was. This allowed them to create detailed digital models of how prostate cancer develops.
They then used AI to study these models and find specific proteins that could act as warning signs for the disease. These potential biomarkers were tested in samples from nearly 2,000 men. The samples included blood, prostate tissue, and urine.
The results showed that some of the proteins found in urine were very good at showing both the presence and the seriousness of prostate cancer. In fact, the new urine biomarkers worked better than PSA, the current standard blood test.
Dr. Mikael Benson, the lead researcher from Karolinska Institutet, said that using urine samples has many benefits. “It’s non-invasive and painless. People could even collect the sample at home and send it to a lab for testing,” he said. This would make testing easier and more comfortable for many men.
The research team is now planning larger clinical trials to test the new method further. One of these trials may be done with the help of Professor Rakesh Heer from Imperial College London. He is also involved in the UK’s national prostate cancer study, called TRANSFORM, which helps test new ways of diagnosing the disease.
If these new biomarkers continue to perform well, they could allow doctors to find prostate cancer earlier and treat it more effectively. This would give patients a better chance of recovery. It could also help reduce the number of unnecessary prostate biopsies, which are often done when PSA levels are high, even if the person doesn’t have cancer.
This promising study was supported by funding from the Swedish Cancer Society, Radiumhemmet, and the Swedish Research Council. Dr. Benson is also the founder of a company called Mavatar, Inc. No other conflicts of interest were reported.
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