getting tested for
bladder cancer
may soon be as simple as peeing into a cup, thanks to a group of researchers who have found a way to identify the disease years before symptoms emerge.
the test, which was
just presented
at the european association of urology annual congress in milan
, works by identifying mutations across 10 genes that are linked to the most common form of bladder cancer. by searching for evidence of these specific mutations in the urine of patients, researchers were able to predict future cases of cancer up to 12 years before diagnosis and without the use of more costly medical procedures.
“diagnosis of bladder cancer relies on expensive and invasive procedures such as cystoscopy, which involves inserting a camera into the bladder,”
said florence le calvez-kelm
, lead researcher of the study from the international agency for research on cancer (iarc) in lyon, france. “having a simpler urine test that could accurately diagnose and even predict the likelihood of cancer years in advance could help to spot more cancers at an early stage and avoid unnecessary cystoscopies in healthy patients.”
bladder cancer killed 2500 canadians last year
bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers in canada, with an estimated 13,300 canadians receiving a diagnosis in 2022,
according to the canadian cancer society
. the disease, which is much more common in men than women, claimed the lives of roughly 2,500 people last year. although only around half of patients diagnosed with an advanced form of the disease survive more than five years, researchers say this figure can rise above 80 per cent if the cancer is detected in its early stages.
3 minute read
