Daijiworld Media Network- Washington 

Washington, Sep 3: In what could mark a major breakthrough in cancer diagnostics, researchers from the johns hopkins kimmel cancer center, johns hopkins all children’s hospital, and collaborating institutions have developed a new urine-based test that shows high accuracy in detecting prostate cancer, potentially replacing painful invasive biopsies. 

Prostate cancer remains the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the United States. According to the CDC, about 13 out of every 100 American men will develop prostate cancer during their lifetime, with 2–3 men dying from the disease. Early detection is considered critical for effective treatment and long-term survival. 

The new test focuses on three biomarkers—TTC3, H4C5, and EPCAM—that were identified in urine samples collected from prostate cancer patients before and after prostate-removal surgery. These biomarkers, present in patients' pre-surgery but nearly absent post-surgery, confirmed their origin in prostate tissue. 

The three-biomarker panel showed strong results, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.92, accurately detecting prostate cancer 91% of the time and correctly ruling out healthy individuals 84% of the time. 

Currently, prostate cancer is often screened with the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test, where levels above 4.0 ng/mL are considered abnormal. However, PSA is not highly specific, leading to frequent recommendations for biopsies. These invasive procedures not only cause discomfort but can also result in complications, and in many cases, biopsies come back negative. 

Senior study author Ranjan Perera, PhD, director of the center for RNA biology at johns hopkins all children’s hospital, said: “This new biomarker panel offers a promising, sensitive, and specific, noninvasive diagnostic test for prostate cancer. It has the potential to reduce unnecessary biopsies, improve diagnostic accuracy in PSA-negative patients, and serve as a foundation for future diagnostic assays.” 

The study further revealed that the test could distinguish prostate cancer from benign conditions such as prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), as well as detect cases even when PSA levels were normal. 

Dr Christian Pavlovich, co-author and programme director for the prostate cancer active surveillance program at Johns Hopkins, noted: “There is a real need for non-PSA-based biomarkers for prostate cancer, and urine is easy to collect. An accurate urinary biomarker would be a valuable addition to clinical diagnostics.” 

Dr Vipul Patel, director of urologic oncology at AdventHealth Cancer Institute in Florida, added: “This test has the potential to help physicians improve diagnostic accuracy, reduce unnecessary interventions, and enable timely treatment for those who need it. I strongly advocate for further study and advancement of these biomarkers.” 

The findings have been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, raising hopes for a less invasive, more reliable method of detecting prostate cancer in the near future.