Breakthrough Test Detects Prostate Cancer in 15 Minutes from Dried Blood

By Sola Ogundipe

A new test that uses dried blood samples might detect prostate cancer in 15 minutes. The breakthrough test functions by examining crystal-like formations in dehydrated blood for indications of the illness.

Experts say results from early trials show that the test has a 90 percent accuracy rate, which might revolutionise the way that this most common kind of cancer in men is diagnosed.

Using a method called novel polarisation-based image reconstruction, researchers examined blood protein structures in 108 samples taken from men with prostate cancer and healthy controls.

They performed a thorough layer-by-layer examination, concentrating on how these proteins alter their 3D structure and assemble throughout the early phases of the illness.

By enabling earlier and more accurate detection, the blood test has the potential to significantly improve outcomes and survival rates for many patients.

Men over 50 have to request a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test from their physician, leading many cases not to be caught until the disease is advanced.

When cancer is suspected, patients are sent for biopsies and MRI scans which can confirm the diagnosis. Health officials have said the current PSA test is not accurate enough.

According to The Lancet Oncology, prostate cancer is the most common and deadly cancer for men in Nigeria, with over 16,000 deaths per 100,000 men. At least 15 Nigerian men die from prostate cancer every day, which is over 5,800 deaths per year.

There are also more than 13,000 new cases recorded each year. Prostate cancer is the No1 killer cancer among men in Nigeria. Despite this, it receives less research funding than breast cancer and treatments for the disease are trailing at least a decade behind.

Prostate cancer usually develops slowly, so there may be no signs someone has it for many years. If the cancer is at an early stage and not causing symptoms, a policy of ‘watchful waiting’ or ‘active surveillance’ may be adopted.

Some patients can be cured if the disease is treated in the early stages. But if it is diagnosed at a later stage, when it has spread, then it becomes terminal and treatment revolves around relieving symptoms. Thousands of men are put off seeking a diagnosis because of the known side effects from treatment, including erectile dysfunction.

Tests for prostate cancer are haphazard, with accurate tools only just beginning to emerge. There is no national prostate screening programme as for years the tests have been too inaccurate. Doctors struggle to distinguish between aggressive and less serious tumours, making it hard to decide on treatment.

Men over 50 are eligible for a ‘PSA’ blood test, which gives doctors a rough idea of whether a patient is at risk. However, it is unreliable. Patients who get a positive result are usually given a biopsy, which is also not foolproof.

Scientists are unsure as to what causes prostate cancer, but age, obesity and a lack of exercise are known risks.