Movember-funded research: the Exometh test

A new type of urine test may help men avoid unnecessary prostate cancer biopsies in the future, research has revealed.

Movember-funded scientists have found a way to identify biomarkers for the disease from urine samples.

Prostate cancer, the UK’s most common cancer in men, is commonly tested using blood tests, a physical examination known as a digital rectal examination and an MRI scan or a biopsy.

Researchers at the University of East Anglia previously developed an experimental new test which diagnoses aggressive prostate cancer and predicts whether patients will require treatment up to five years earlier than standard clinical methods.

Their latest work takes data from two different components in urine which further improves its use for diagnosis. The team hopes the Exometh test could reduce the need for prostate cancer biopsies by around 60 per cent in five years.

Lead author Shea Connell says: “We wanted to see if other biological information from urine could be integrated together with clinical information to create a new predictive test with even greater potential.”

Movember’s global director of biomedical research Dr Mark Buzza says: “Despite advances in recent years, prostate cancer remains very difficult to diagnose and treat. That’s why we’re so excited about the Exometh test. One of the major advantages of the test is that it could remove the need for 60 per cent of invasive biopsies.

“We are delighted to have supported this project under Movember’s Global Action Plan (GAP1) Biomarker project which fosters collaboration between researchers across the globe. Bringing researchers together to collaborate rather than compete for funding allows research findings to be fast-tracked.”