An experimental new urine test can reveal if men with early prostate cancer will need aggressive therapy or can be left untreated but monitored, UK researchers say. Current prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests cannot do this, meaning many men experience unnecessary worry, investigations and treatment.
The prostate urine risk (PUR) test looks for genetic markers to give a more accurate assessment. Trials in 537 patients suggest it can reliably sort men by risk. It is one of a number of new tests – including other urine-based ones, as well as blood tests and scans – that scientists are pursuing to improve prostate cancer detection.
A combination of checks rather than one single test may ultimately prove to be the best approach, experts say. Dr David Montgomery, from Prostate Cancer UK, said: "More research now needs to be done to see how accurate this is compared to the newer, non-invasive methods being offered, such as multi-parametric MRI scans."
