HEALTHLINE – Researchers have identified 17 unique genetic markers that are overexpressed by high-grade prostate cancers, which can be screened for accurately using a urine test. Experts say the test can help doctors identify serious cancers while also reducing unnecessary biopsies.
Prostate cancers are graded according to a Gleason score. Trusted SourceThe higher the grade the more likely the cancer will spread quickly and grow.
This new test could potentially help with diagnosing and treating cancer earlier and with fewer invasive measures.
The health benefits of screening for prostate cancer with a standard prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test have historically come with the tradeoff: the potential for unnecessary, invasive procedures, such as prostate biopsies.
However, innovations in the realm of prostate cancer biomarker tests are helping to improve diagnostic accuracy alongside PSA testing.
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The results of one such biomarker test, known as the MyProstateScore 2.0 (MPS2), which were published this month in JAMA OncologyTrusted Source, indicate that the test is highly accurate for detecting high-grade cancers.
Researchers found that the test had a 95% sensitivity for prostate cancer of grade group 2 or greater, and 99% for grade group 3 or greater.
“It does look impressive and exciting. I definitely think this is moving the field in the right direction, which will be helpful for patients in the long term,” Geoffrey Sonn, MD, an Associate Professor of Urology at Stanford Medicine who wasn’t affiliated with the research, told Healthline.
However, questions remain about whether the test could be accurately applied to a racially diverse population, a limitation that the authors acknowledge in the research.
Adam Murphy, MD, MBA, an Associate Professor of Urology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, called the research, “a good addition to the literature,” but noted that there were clear limitations regarding race. Murphy wasn’t affiliated with the research.
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“It’s hard to know how it performs in other ethnic minority groups,” said Murphy …