A less invasive method of detecting the progression of prostate cancers and aggressiveness of the disease is being developed by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in the USA. Two urine-based biomarkers which correlate with tumour volume and aggressiveness of cancer were found by the team when analysing over 400 men who were receiving active surveillance of their prostate cancer.
The researchers hope to enrol a further 1000 men and study their cancer and biomarkers for a minimum of five years before making any firm conclusions although it appears likely that a urine test to establish the presence or development of prostate cancer will become available.
The test will be most useful for men who adopt the ‘watchful waiting’ approach to prostate cancer due to the disease being slow growing and often not life threatening. The urine test will enable those men who are delaying treatment but monitoring their cancer to assess its development better than the current prostate biopsies.
