Urine test caught 95% of bladder cancers in a Stanford study; not in clinics yet

A urine test developed by researchers at Stanford University in the United States picked up 95% of bladder cancer cases in a study, raising hopes of a simpler way to find the disease. It is not yet available for routine use.

The test looks at RNA, the genetic messages that bladder tumour cells shed into urine, to see which genes the cells are actively using. Most urine and blood tests for cancer, known as liquid biopsies, look for mutations in DNA instead. In the study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, the RNA test did better than existing urine-based methods, the researchers reported.

A separate trial in Britain’s National Health Service has tried a DNA-based urine test, which found more than nine in ten bladder cancers among the patients studied.

Why it matters

Bladder cancer is usually diagnosed by cystoscopy, in which a thin camera is passed into the bladder through the urethra. It is reliable but uncomfortable, and people who have been treated need repeated checks for years because the cancer often comes back. A dependable urine test could spare many of them the procedure, or show who needs it most.

What it means for patients now

These results come from research studies. Larger trials and approval by regulators are needed before hospitals can offer such a test. Doctors advise that blood in the urine, even once and even without pain, should be checked promptly, because it is the most common early sign of bladder cancer.