Originally published October 27 2005
Italian researchers develop new technique for detecting bladder cancer
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
JAMA has published a new study by Maria Aurora Sanchini, who helped develop a new bladder cancer test at Morgagni-Pierantoni Hospital in Forlė, Italy.
Researchers say an experimental urine test can detect bladder cancer while it's still in the early, curable stages.
Maria Aurora Sanchini, study's senior author who helped develop the new method at Morgagni-Pierantoni Hospital in Forlė, Italy, said similar tests are already on the market, but the new one is more accurate.
The results of the study of 218 men are published in Wednesday's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Early diagnosis is key in treating bladder cancer because it often grows rapidly.
Blood in the urine is a common symptom, but a urology specialist said blood can also signal a less serious illness -- so people will, at times, dismiss it until the cancer progresses.
Dr. Edward Messing at the University of Rochester Medical Center said the results of the new test are the best he's ever seen.
The test detects an enzyme that allows cancer cells to grow indefinitely.
The enzyme is present in almost all human cancer cells, but rarely in noncancerous cells.
"The test we developed requires a small amount of urine; is noninvasive, inexpensive, and easy to perform," the researchers wrote.
"One important advantage of this test is its proven ability to also identify low-grade tumors, which often escape detection."
Bladder cancer affects more men than women.
More than 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States, and about 20 percent of patients die from the disease.
But the researchers said the new test shouldn't be performed routinely because of the relatively low incidence of bladder cancer.
Instead, it should be aimed at high-risk groups, such as smokers, who have a threefold increased risk of the disease.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml