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An Easier Way to Detect Bladder Cancer?

A new test for bladder cancer may one day make diagnosis of this disease painless and more accessible.

The urine test, which is being developed by Italian researchers, measures the amount of an enzyme called telomerase, a key factor in cellular repair. In a new study, published on October 26 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers found that they can detect abnormal levels of this enzyme about 90 percent of the time, indicating a high likelihood of bladder cancer.

This test "represents a promising and potentially important contribution to the early diagnosis of bladder [cancer]," wrote the researchers of the study, led by Dr. Maria Sanchini of Morgagni-Pierantoni Hospital in Italy.

Finding Bladder Cancer
Almost 64,000 people will develop bladder cancer this year. It is three times more common in men, and those who smoke are at the highest risk. While bladder cancer can be cured when found early enough, it is estimated that over 13,000 people will die this year from the disease.

Blood in the urine or a significant change in the frequency of bathroom trips may be an indication of bladder cancer. To confirm the disease, a doctor will usually perform a cystoscopy, the best available method for detecting bladder cancer. During this procedure, a thin tube with a lens is inserted into the bladder through the urethra. Then, the doctor looks for any abnormal growths in the bladder and removes a piece of tissue to be checked for cancer cells.

While fairly accurate, cystoscopy is quite invasive, expensive and carries the risk of infection and bleeding. However, the urine-based test seems just as accurate, yet it "requires a small amount of urine, is noninvasive, inexpensive and easy to perform," write the researchers. A more accessible test, they add, would make it easier to detect and treat bladder cancer successfully.

If the test is eventually approved for use, the researchers suggest that it should be routinely offered to smokers, who have the highest risk of developing bladder cancer.