New urine test shows 92% accuracy in detecting bladder cancer

Researchers in the United Kingdom have developed a molecular urine test, named ‘Galeas Bladder’, that may offer a non-invasive alternative to cystoscopy for detecting bladder cancer. The test, developed through a collaboration between the University of Birmingham, Nonacus, and Cancer Research UK, identifies DNA fragments released by tumor cells into the urine.

A study involving 964 patients referred for hematuria (blood in the urine) demonstrated a 92 percent accuracy rate. Out of 77 confirmed bladder cancer cases, the test successfully identified 71. The test is capable of analyzing more than 450 DNA mutations across 23 genes specifically linked to bladder cancer.

If implemented, the test could allow patients to collect samples at home and send them to a laboratory, potentially reducing the need for painful and invasive endoscopic procedures used to examine the bladder lining.