September 2nd 2024.
Every year, thousands of men are diagnosed with prostate cancer at a stage where it is incurable. This means that by the time they find out, the cancer has already spread and become much harder to treat. However, there may be hope on the horizon with a new breakthrough test that could make diagnosing prostate cancer much easier and faster.
Currently, testing for prostate cancer can be uncomfortable and invasive. It often involves a rectal exam and a tissue biopsy, which can be both physically and emotionally taxing for patients. But researchers have now discovered a new method that could detect prostate cancer with 90% accuracy before any symptoms even appear. And the best part? It only takes 15 minutes.
The new test involves analyzing dried blood samples for crystal-like structures. This innovative technique, known as new polarisation-based image reconstruction, looks at how proteins change their 3D shape and join together during the early stages of the disease. By conducting a detailed analysis of the blood samples, researchers were able to identify significant differences between healthy and cancerous samples.
This breakthrough could potentially lead to a general screening program for prostate cancer, similar to the programs currently available for other types of cancer such as bowel, breast, and cervical cancers. The current blood test used to detect prostate cancer, which measures levels of a protein called prostate-specific antigen, is not accurate enough to warrant a screening program. But with this new test, researchers believe they have found a much more reliable method.
The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, has shown promising results, but it is still in its early stages. So far, it has only been tested in a small number of patients. The research was carried out by a team at Aston University in Birmingham, who analyzed 108 dry blood smear samples from both healthy volunteers and those with prostate cancer.
Professor Igor Meglinski, from the Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies, led the study and expressed his excitement about the potential impact of this breakthrough. He believes that it could open new avenues for cancer diagnosis and monitoring, leading to a substantial advancement in personalized medicine and oncology.
If the success of this new test continues in larger clinical trials, it could pave the way for a screening program that could revolutionize cancer diagnosis. The entire process, including drying time, takes just 15 minutes, making it a much faster and less invasive option for patients. This holds immense potential for improving outcomes and survival rates for those diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Dr. Matthew Hobbs, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK, who was not involved in the study, stresses the importance of finding better tests for prostate cancer. He explains that currently, over 10,000 men are diagnosed when their cancer has already spread and become incurable. Therefore, the need for new and improved methods is critical. However, larger clinical trials are needed to confirm the effectiveness of this new test before it can be widely implemented.
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