University of Manchester researchers develop non-invasive womb cancer test

Researchers at the University of Manchester and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust have developed a non-invasive diagnostic test for womb cancer that analyzes cells from urine and vaginal fluid. The study, published in Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health, evaluated 1,864 women in north-west England presenting with postmenopausal bleeding.

The test correctly identified over 80% of confirmed womb cancers in the trial, detecting 80 out of 99 cases. It also demonstrated a negative predictive value of 98.8%, suggesting that patients receiving a negative result are highly unlikely to have the disease.

Currently, diagnosing womb cancer often requires invasive and costly procedures such as internal ultrasound scans, womb lining biopsies, and hysteroscopies. While the researchers noted the test may not be accurate enough to rule out cancer entirely on its own, it could be used to fast-track high-risk patients for urgent investigation while sparing lower-risk women from immediate invasive testing.