New Blood Test Could Detect Prostate Cancer in Less Than 15 Minutes, Scientists Claim

A revolutionary new blood test has been developed by scientists that could diagnose prostate cancer in under 15 minutes with an impressive 90% accuracy rate. This breakthrough comes as a significant advancement in the early detection of one of the leading causes of death among older men.

The test, created by researchers at Aston University in Birmingham, uses a cutting-edge technique that analyzes protein structures in dried blood samples. This innovative approach marks a significant improvement over the current method, the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test, which often leads to unnecessary invasive procedures and over-diagnosis.

Currently, men with high PSA levels are typically subjected to further tests, such as biopsies, to confirm the presence of cancer. However, only about 25% of these cases turn out to be positive, leaving the remaining 75% to undergo unnecessary and potentially harmful procedures.

The new test developed by the Aston University team, led by Professor Igor Meglinski from the Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies, is non-invasive and provides accurate results nine times out of ten. “This breakthrough opens new avenues for cancer diagnosis and monitoring, representing a substantial leap forward in personalized medicine and oncology,” said Professor Meglinski.

The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, involved analyzing 108 dried blood smear samples from both healthy volunteers and those diagnosed with prostate cancer. The researchers used a technique known as polarisation-based image reconstruction to examine the protein structures within the blood. This technique allows scientists to observe how proteins change their 3D shape and aggregate during the early stages of the disease, enabling them to distinguish between healthy and cancerous samples.

Professor Meglinski explained that the entire testing process, including the drying time for the blood samples, takes up to 15 minutes. The high accuracy rate of this new test, particularly in the early stages of prostate cancer, holds “immense potential for revolutionizing cancer diagnosis.”

Prostate cancer accounts for nearly 10% of all cancer deaths among men, making early and accurate detection crucial for improving patient outcomes. Professor Meglinski emphasized the importance of early detection, stating, “The life expectancy of 90% of patients diagnosed with prostate cancer at stage 1 or 2 is 15 years or more. By enabling earlier and more accurate detection, our blood test has the potential to significantly improve outcomes and survival rates for many patients.”

One of the key advantages of this new test is that it relies on blood samples rather than more invasive procedures like biopsies, reducing the risks associated with such tests. However, while the initial results are promising, the researchers acknowledge that larger clinical trials are necessary to confirm the test’s effectiveness and potential for widespread use.

Dr. Matthew Hobbs, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK, who was not involved in the study, welcomed the development but cautioned that further research is needed. “Over 10,000 men each year are diagnosed when their cancer has already spread and become incurable, which is why it’s so important that we find new and better tests for prostate cancer.

The big issue is proving that these tests are better than what we have already,” Dr. Hobbs said. He added, “So far, this has been tested on a relatively small number of samples, so we’ll need to see more research before we can know how effective it will be.”

The preliminary success of this new test offers hope for a more accurate, quicker, and less invasive method of diagnosing prostate cancer, potentially transforming the landscape of cancer detection and treatment in the near future.