Stanford researchers develop urine test for bladder cancer

image credit- clevelandclinic.org

Researchers at the Stanford School of Medicine in the US have developed a highly sensitive urine test for diagnosing and monitoring bladder cancer.

The test involves looking for fragments of cancer DNA in urine samples. According to the researchers, this study describes a new diagnostic approach to bladder cancer focused on analysis of urine samples. Urine is in direct contact with bladder tumors, which shed some of their DNA into it.

The researchers found that by testing for bladder cancer in urine, they could detect cancer in the early stages of development, when it can be treated more easily. Their approach correctly identified the presence of bladder cancer in 83 percent of patients with early stage bladder cancer, compared with only 14 percent for the clinically available urine cytology test.