A recently developed urine test can assist in the early detection of and treatment decisions regarding prostate cancer, a study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Michigan Center for Translational Pathology finds.
Designed to supplement an elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening result, this test also defines men at highest risk for clinically significant prostate cancer and could delay or negate the need for a needle biopsy in some patients.
The test looks for the TMPRSS2:ERG gene fusion as well as the PCA3 indicator. The researcher found that the combination of both markers was more predictive than either marker alone. Evaluating urine samples from 1312 men, patients were categorized into low, intermediate, and high scores. In the low-score group, 21% of men had cancer. Of the men in the intermediatescore group, 43% had cancer. And, cancer was found in 69% of men in the high-score group. Furthermore, the new urine test results also indicated the cancer’s aggressiveness, based on tumor size and Gleason score. In the low-score group, only 7% of men had an aggressive tumor; however, tumors were aggressive in 40% of those in the high-score group.
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