New ‘safer and more accurate’ prostate test may lead to national screening programme

Researchers say they have made a crucial breakthrough that could pave the way for the first national prostate cancer screening programme, allowing tumours to be detected early and could ‘significantly’ reduce deaths from the disease.

 

The programme involves looking for raised levels of two biomarkers in a patient’s blood sample relative to their age.

 

Professor Nicholas Wald, lead author, said “This approach could reduce false positive tests by three quarters, making screening safer and more accurate.”

 

If the screening method is deemed to be successful in future studies, it is hoped that it could be developed into a national screening programme.

 

Jonathan Bestwick, co-author from Queen Mary University, said “The approach is innovative for cancer, as it screens people on the basis of their overall risk rather than the results of a single test.

 

“This is the same approach used in screening during pregnancy for certain foetal and maternal health conditions.

 

Simon Grieveson, head of research at Prostate Cancer UK, said “Catching prostate cancer early can save lives, but without a screening programme too many men will continue to be diagnosed too late.

 

“Unfortunately, we currently do not have an accurate enough test to be used for a national screening programme and so it’s great to see promising research like this seeking to create a better test to detect prostate cancer early.

 

“In the meantime, men can find out more about their risk by using Prostate Cancer UK’s risk checker, and should speak to their GP if they have any concerns.”

 

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

 

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