Urine test may help detect bladder cancer

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Measurement of the activity of the enzyme telomerase in urine may aid the detection of bladder cancer among men.
Measurement of the activity of the enzyme telomerase in urine may aid the detection of bladder cancer among men. Timely diagnosis is crucial in bladder cancer because treatment needs to be started promptly. But current detection methods are unfortunately invasive and costly. Researchers in Italy now report upon the possibility of a urine test that would make diagnosis of bladder cancer much easier.

They have been looking at the levels of an enzyme called telomerase in a group of 218 men who either had bladder cancer or who were healthy. The results suggested that urine telomerase levels may, indeed, form that basis of a simple and inexpensive test - especially for the low grade tumors that otherwise tend to escape detection. The researchers say that the test could find a useful role in screening high risk groups, such as smokers, for bladder cancer.

Source
Journal of the American Medical Association 26th October 2005 Volume 294 pages 2052-2056

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