Liverpool- British researchers have developed a noninvasive diagnostic tool that can catch the smell of prostate cancer in men’s urine. This “electronic nose” works as a sensor that identifies different patterns of compounds linked to the deadliest disease.
The tool analyzes samples of urine inserted into the device and through algorithms can give a diagnose without any invasive test require, as reported by Fox News. The team from the University of Liverpool (UL) and the University of the West of England said that this new procedure could eliminate the need for painful probes and the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test that are invasive and not well-received by men.
Doctors believe in early stage diagnostics as an effective way to recover from cancer, but the researchers think that some men feel uncomfortable with the existing prostate test, and avoid getting tested.
“There is an urgent need to identify these cancers at an earlier stage when they are more treatable, as the earlier a person is diagnosed the better. After further sample testing the next step is to take this technology and put it into a user-friendly format,” said Professor Chris Probert from the UL.
The health industry could help to the further develop of the Odoreader, so it can be used where is the most needed like at a patient’s bedside, a doctor’s office or in a walk-in clinic as it provides fast, inexpensive and accurate results, added professor Probert.
The experiment that concluded in the effectiveness of the Odoreader included 155 men from many urology clinics in the United Kingdom. As many as 58 of them suffered from prostate cancer, 24 had bladder cancer, and the others 73 had urological problems but luckily for them did not involve cancer. After taking urine samples from the studied, the team developed algorithms to effectively analyze the collected urine and reach the diagnoses.
Over 28,000 Americans died in 2015 from prostate cancer according to the National Cancer Institute. In the UK nearly 10,000 men died the same year, with almost 45,000 new cases reported annually according to the Telegraph. This statistics makes any kind of tool that provides faster results a greater opportunity for the patients.
Source: The Telegraph