UF & UM Unite to Develop Dipstick Test
Colleagues from the University of Michigan and the University of Florida have teamed up to identify proteins in urine which may signal the presence of bladder cancer.
Using technological advances, the scientists were able to isolate 186 proteins in the urine of patients with and without bladder cancer. Five of the proteins identified were found to only be present in patients with the cancer making them promising biomarkers for the disease. One of the proteins being scrutinized has already been linked to ovarian and liver cancers in other studies.
The researchers hope their findings will lead to the development of a reliable, non-invasive dipstick urine test to detect the disease while it is still in the early stages. Currently, bladder cancer patients must undergo an uncomfortable procedure, known as a cystoscopy, several times a year to determine if their cancer has returned.
Results of the study are published in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Proteome Research.
Bladder cancer has a 94% five-year survival rate if caught early, but it also has a high rate of recurrence so aggressive monitoring is a key component in the treatment of this common urological disease.
The American Cancer Society estimates over 67,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2007.
Source: University of Florida News
Related Links: ScienceDaily; CA Cancer Journal for Clinicians
Related Podcasts: San Francisco Firefighters & Bladder Cancer Screening from UroToday
Tags: Steve Goodison; glycoproteins
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