New Urinalysis for Prostate Cancer Shows Disease Aggression

Researchers at the University of East Anglia have developed a new urine test for prostate cancer. It also shows how aggressive prostate cancer is.

A new study published today shows that a new test called “ExoGrail” may revolutionize the way prostate cancer is assessed before invasive biopsy. ..

The researchers say their new test can reduce the number of unnecessary prostate cancer biopsies by 35 percent.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United Kingdom. It usually progresses slowly and most cancers do not require treatment during a man’s life.

The most commonly used tests for prostate cancer include a blood test, a physical test known as a rectal finger exam (DRE), an MRI scan, or an invasive biopsy.

However, doctors have a hard time predicting which tumors will be invasive, making it difficult for many men to decide how to treat them.

Prostate cancer accounts for the majority of cancer deaths in men, but more generally it is not a disease that kills men, but a disease that kills men. Therefore, in order to properly treat men with progressive disease while minimizing overdiagnosis and overtreatment, especially if this can be done without invasive biopsy, in prostate cancer patients There is an urgent need to improve diagnosis and prediction of outcomes. “

Dr. Dan Brewer, Senior Researcher, Norwich Medical College, University of East Anglia

“Invasive biopsy involves significant financial, psychological and social costs for patients and the healthcare system as well.”

The research team has developed a new ExoGrail urinalysis by combining two biomarker sources (measures of a protein marker called EN2 and gene expression levels of 10 genes associated with prostate cancer risk). It is based on a previously developed test called PUR and ExoMeth.

They tested it using urine samples from 207 patients who had a prostate cancer biopsy at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH).

When comparing urine results to biopsy results, the study showed that the test successfully showed which patients had prostate cancer and which did not.

The ExoGrail test also provided risk scores for patients and highlighted patients for whom an invasive biopsy would have benefited.

The findings show that the use of information from multiple non-invasive biomarker sources could significantly improve the way patients with suspected prostate cancer are risk-assessed prior to invasive biopsy. Is shown.

Dr. Brewer said: “Our new urine test not only shows whether a patient has prostate cancer, but also importantly how aggressive the disease is. This allows patients and doctors to get the right treatment. You can choose 35% of unnecessary biopsies. “

The research team is all led by Dr. Shea Connell, Professor Colin Cooper, Dr. Daniel Brewer, and Dr. Jeremy Clark of UEA’s Norwich Medical College, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Sally University, University of Bradford, Earlham Institute, and Movember GAP1 Urinary. Biomarker consortium.

Urine biomarker research was funded by the Movember GAP1 Urine Biomarker Project, Prostate Cancer UK, Masonic Charitable Foundation, Bob Champion Cancer Trust, King family, Andy Ripley Memorial Fund, Hargrave Foundation, Norfolk Freemasons, and Tesco Centenary Grant. ..

Paul Villanti, Executive Director of Movember’s program, said: “We are proud to support the development of the ExoGrail urinalysis as part of the Global Action Plan Urine Biomarker project.

“By performing non-invasive tests that can accurately show how aggressive a man’s prostate cancer is, not only will the number of men undergoing a painful biopsy be reduced, but the patient’s correct treatment strategy. Can be selected more quickly. “