A proof-of-concept test can spot bladder cancer in urine.
Stanford University researchers reported a proof-of-concept urine test that reads RNA molecules and identified 95 out of 100 people with bladder cancer, including early-stage cases, using samples from 515 cancer patients and healthy people.
Researchers have developed a proof-of-concept urine test that reads RNA molecules and can pick out people with bladder cancer. The team reported the work on October 2 in Nature Medicine. Stanford University oncologist Maximilian Diehn said urine is in direct contact with bladder tumors, which makes it “a very attractive fluid” for looking for this type of cancer.
Most liquid biopsies for cancer, which examine bodily fluids instead of tissue samples, look mainly for DNA that tumors shed into the blood. Diehn's lab took a different approach and analyzed RNA, a molecular relative of DNA. RNA is less stable than DNA, so it has not been a top target for researchers. It does carry information that DNA lacks, such as which genes are turned on. Diehn said that matters “because it can tell you what the cancer is doing at any given moment.”
The group had earlier built a method to analyze small amounts of RNA in blood, and in samples from people with lung cancer it could read RNA signatures of the disease. For the new study, the team tested the technique on samples from 515 cancer patients and healthy people. It identified 95 out of 100 people with bladder cancer, including those at early stages of the disease.
The test also gave hints about the biology of the cancer, such as the type of tumor and the risk of recurrence. Diehn said those details could help doctors make treatment decisions.
The researchers are now testing whether the technique can detect other cancers. Their evidence suggests it can spot cancer in the kidney and prostate, which are also washed by urine. Diehn said he can imagine a multi-cancer urine test aimed at tumors of the genitourinary tract, but much remains to be done before any such test reaches clinics. He added that because the technology is so new, it is not yet clear whether RNA-based testing will be used in cancer screening, though the field needs to investigate it.
At a Glance
- The study was reported October 2 in Nature Medicine by researchers in Stanford oncologist Maximilian Diehn's lab.
- The technique was tested on samples from 515 cancer patients and healthy people.
- It identified 95 out of 100 people with bladder cancer, including at early stages.
- The test also offered hints about tumor type and risk of recurrence.
- Early evidence suggests the method can also detect kidney and prostate cancer.
Sources
This brief was written by Brightside Report from the reporting linked above. Spot an error? Request a correction.