According to a new Cancer Research UK study published in the British Journal of Cancer, a simple urine test could distinguish between aggressive and less aggressive bladder cancers.
The test could quickly detect patients with the most advanced and aggressive forms of bladder cancer, helping to tailor and speed up their treatment. The researchers from the University of Birmingham measured the levels of a protein shed by the bladder tumour in 600 patients. They found that higher levels of a protein, known as EpCAM, in the urine were linked to more aggressive cancers. Dr Douglas Ward, a researcher at the University of Birmingham and one of the study authors, said: “This protein could be used to help doctors to decide what the best course of investigation or treatment for the patients is, and may prevent unnecessary delays. “We have known for some time that the protein EpCAM is released from some tumour cells but it was not clear whether it would be useful as a way to decide the best investigation and treatment for patients suspected of having bladder cancer. We are now planning further studies to test the benefits of urine biomarker testing to patients and the NHS”.
