Prostate cancer is a major killer of men globally, but a new study may offer a less invasive way to detect it early and accurately.
Researchers from Sweden, the UK, and China have discovered a precise set of biomarkers in urine that could transform prostate cancer screening.
The findings, published in Cancer Research, show that artificial intelligence and advanced biomedical tools can help detect cancer more effectively than the current PSA test.
Prostate-specific antigen,PSA, is widely used in screening today, but it has well-known limitations. Elevated PSA levels may signal cancer, but they are also common in benign conditions, leading to frequent false alarms or missed diagnoses. This uncertainty often pushes patients toward unnecessary biopsies or treatments.
To improve accuracy, the international research team used AI to analyze mRNA activity across thousands of prostate tumor cells, tracking gene expression and cancer severity.
READ ALSO: Nigeria faces growing breast cancer crisis
They then identified potential protein biomarkers and tested them in blood, tissue, and urine samples from nearly 2,000 patients.
The result: a group of urine-based biomarkers that not only detect prostate cancer but also gauge its severity with high precision. In performance tests, these biomarkers surpassed PSA in both sensitivity and specificity.
“There are many advantages to measuring biomarkers in urine,” said lead investigator Mikael Benson from Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet. “It’s non-invasive, painless, and can be done at home, then analyzed using routine lab methods.”
Experts believe this could drastically reduce unnecessary biopsies and ease the burden on patients and health systems. The discovery may also open doors to personalized treatments, as the same protein markers might help identify drug targets.
With large-scale clinical trials now being planned, the team is optimistic that routine cancer screening could soon be simplified to something as easy as a urine test — bringing earlier detection and better outcomes within reach.
Discovermagazine.com
