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Title: Discovery could lead to urine test for prostate cancer Post by: Lovelee on February 12, 2009, 06:06:04 pm Researchers in the United States say they have made a discovery that could allow doctors to use a simple urine test to identity life threatening prostate cancer. Up to a third of middle aged men are thought to have traces of cancer in their prostate. But in most cases, it is harmless. Some though, have a malignant form which kills tens of thousands of men each year. Unfortunately current screening tests cannot distinguish between the two. Now however, the searches have identified a molecule that is found in high levels in the malignant form of the disease. Doctor Arul Chinnaiyan says this means determining the need for treatment could soon be as simple as a urine test. "There might be screening tests for the presence of prostate cancer and then you would then get a follow up test," he said. "That test will then tell you if you'll need treatment for that cancer, whether that'd be surgical treatment or radiation treatment. Otherwise, we would just monitor those patients." It will take five years to see if this discovery could provide the basis of a reliable test. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/12/2489744.htm?section=justin |