Key Takeaways
- A urine test may detect prostate cancer by identifying specific RNA and metabolic markers.
- It offers a noninvasive alternative to traditional prostate biopsies, which can miss cancer cells.
- The test is still in early development and requires larger studies before clinical use.
Diagnosing prostate cancer typically involves an invasive biopsy of prostate tissue. When a patient presents with an enlarged prostate and related symptoms, doctors often begin with a screening test that measures Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) levels in the blood. However, confirming a cancer diagnosis still requires a biopsy—a procedure many patients find uncomfortable or choose to avoid.
In some cases, tissue biopsy may be false negative as biopsy has the risk of missing the cancerous cells and examining healthy tissue for the histopathological examination instead.
Read Also: A Simple Urine Test To Diagnose Prostate Cancer
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have developed a new urine-based screening approach for prostate cancer. Published in the journal Scientific Reports, the study describes how tandem mass spectrometry and RNA sequencing were used to detect cancer-related molecules in urine samples. These included specific RNA fragments and metabolic byproducts unique to prostate tumors. While the early findings are promising, further clinical trials will be needed before the test can be used as a routine diagnostic tool.
Research Findings
Participants:
The initial study performed the liquid biopsy test on a cohort of 126 patients with benign to cancerous prostate tumors. Among the 126 patients, 64 were known prostate cancer cases, 31 had known benign prostatic hyperplasia and other prostatitis diseases, while 31 were healthy participants with no prostate-related pathological conditions.
Methodology:
Tandem Mass spectrometry followed by RNA sequencing identified deeper unknown RNA profiles and metabolic products of degradation.
Findings:
Combined investigation of RNA and dietary degradation byproducts provided distinguishing test results that separated healthy patients from known pathological prostate cases. Researchers found that urine from men with prostate cancer consistently contained distinctive metabolic and RNA markers not present in healthy individuals.
Urine Test
Ranjan Perera, Ph.D., the study’s senior author and director of the Center for RNA Biology at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, said, “A simple and noninvasive urine test for prostate cancer would be a significant step forward in diagnosis. Tissue biopsies are invasive and notoriously difficult because they often miss cancer cells, and existing tests, such as PSA elevation, are not very helpful in identifying cancer.”
However, the research is still in its early stages and requires further extensive, large population-scale clinical studies to test its efficacy as a replacement investigation for invasive biopsy tests.
FAQs
What is this new urine test about?
It detects RNA and metabolic markers in urine that may indicate prostate cancer.
Is it available for use now?
No, it’s still in the research phase and not approved for clinical use.
Can it replace a prostate biopsy?
Not yet. Biopsy remains the standard for confirming prostate cancer.
Is this better than a PSA test?
It may be more specific, but it hasn’t been validated yet.
How accurate is the test?
Early results are promising, but the study was small and needs more validation.
Was the study peer-reviewed?
Yes, it was published in Scientific Reports, a peer-reviewed journal.
Should I stop PSA testing because of this?
No. PSA testing is still recommended based on current guidelines.
Could this test reduce unnecessary biopsies?
Potentially, but more research is needed to prove that.
Is this test painful or risky?
No, it’s noninvasive—just a urine sample—but it’s not yet available outside research settings.
What’s next for this research?
Larger clinical trials are needed to test reliability and real-world performance.
What should I do if I’m at risk for prostate cancer?
Talk to your doctor about PSA screening and any symptoms or family history you may have.
Final Thoughts
Scientific breakthroughs like this urine-based prostate cancer test spark real hope for less invasive, more accurate screening methods. But in 2020, they’re still just that—hope.
If you’re a man over 50, or younger with a family history of prostate cancer, don’t wait for future tests to become available. Early detection saves lives now. Talk with your doctor about your risks, symptoms, and screening options.
Medicine is evolving—but your health decisions today matter just as much as tomorrow’s innovations.
References
Lee, B., Mahmud, I., Marchica, J. et al. Integrated RNA and metabolite profiling of urine liquid biopsies for prostate cancer biomarker discovery. Sci Rep 10, 3716 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-60616-z
