Simple urine test can detect womb cancer

A simple non-invasive test can accurately detect womb cancer according to a proof of concept study by University of Manchester and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) scientists. The non-invasive test, which detects cancer by looking at urine or vaginal sample with a microscope, could have a major benefit for patients if adopted across the NHS. Currently, women are diagnosed using a narrow telescope, called a hysteroscope, to examine the inside of the womb where a biopsy is taken. However, 31% of women who have the procedure must have it repeated because of technical difficulties or intolerable pain.

And thousands of women who do not have womb cancer also undergo the procedure, with huge financial implications for the NHS. The research team, who publish their analysis in Nature Communications, believes the new detection tool – whose samples can be collected by women at home- could be incorporated into clinical practice once large-scale trials have been carried out.

The team, led by Professor Emma Crosbie from The University of Manchester, tested the new tool on 103 women with known cancer and 113 with unexplained postmenopausal bleeding. The proportion of women with womb cancer who were identified by the new tool was 91.7% And the proportion of women without womb cancer who tested negative with the new tool was 88.9%.

Womb cancer is the sixth most common cancer affecting women, with approximately 382,000 new diagnoses and 89,900 deaths from the disease in 2018 globally. Most women present early following the onset of postmenopausal bleeding and have a good prognosis. However, 20% of women present with advanced disease, and have a 5-year survival rate of just 15%.


(Content Courtesy: https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/simple-urine-test-can-detect-womb-cancer/)