A simple and cost-effective urine test could improve early detection and management of bladder cancer, according to a brief issued by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). This test detects the presence of specific mutations in the promoter of the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene in urine samples. Results from two independent clinical studies, one conducted in France, the other in Iran, show "excellent performance" in detecting bladder cancer, the authors comment.
"IARC has developed a droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay that detects TERTpm in urine samples (uTERTpm)," said Florence Le Calvez-Kelm, PhD, a scientist in the Genomic Epidemiology Branch at IARC and co-author of the IARC evidence summary brief. "The uTERTpm biomarker offers a significant opportunity as a simple and noninvasive biomarker for screening and early detection, because it is detectable…
