A new type of test that uses complex sugars to detect prostate cancer earlier and with greater accuracy

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A new type of test that uses complex sugars to detect prostate cancer earlier and with greater accuracy

Journal of Nephrology and Urology is an Open Access peer-reviewed publication that discusses current research and advancements in diagnosis and management of kidney disorders as well as related epidemiology, pathophysiology and molecular genetics.

Contributors are welcome to publish high quality clinical, and laboratory research as case series, reviews, guidelines, techniques and practices.

It is basically aimed at the medical/ health practitioners, students, professionals and researchers and professional bodies and institutions.

The test works by identifying sugars, known as glycans, in blood. These sugars are attached to protein molecules called PSA and are known to undergo distinct but subtle changes when cancer is present in the body.

Particular types of glycans are associated with different cancers but until now, there has been no technology available to detect the glycans in an accurate, timely and sufficiently specific way.

It works by using a synthetic carbohydrate material to create a mould of the specific glycan. These 'receptors' are then fixed in position on a surface so they bind to that glycan, but not to any others.

The number of glycans identified in this way will show not only if cancer is present, but how aggressive or advanced the cancer is. The research results are published in Advanced Functional Materials and the team expects to begin applying the technique to clinical samples in the laboratory later this year.

A new test for prostate cancer is urgently needed because current tests are only able to give an indication of increased PSA in blood samples. This can give false positive results in around 50 per cent of cases. This is because a man's PSA level can become elevated for a number of different reasons, not necessarily related to cancer. In addition, around 25 per cent of men who do have prostate cancer do not have elevated PSA, so the test fails to diagnose these patients.

Ovarian cancer is typically detected at a very late stage, when treatment options are very limited, and so survival rates are very low, explains Professor Mendes. Because our test is highly specific, it should be possible to apply it to a number of different types of cancer.

Early and accurate diagnosis of prostate cancer is critical to ensuring we cure more men of prostate cancer while reducing side effects from over treatment. While PSA can be a helpful test, It is often elevated in people who don't have prostate cancer and tells us nothing about how aggressive the disease might be in people who do.

While at an early stage, this research could make PSA a much more specific and accurate way not only to diagnose prostate cancer, but also to tell who needs urgent treatment and whose cancer is less aggressive and can safely be watched. Ultimately, this could help us cure more men and harm fewer.

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