Urine test could reveal early prostate cancer | ScienceDaily

Breakthrough Urine Test Could Transform Early Prostate Cancer Detection

Revolutionary non-invasive screening method shows higher accuracy than PSA testing

A groundbreaking study recently published in the journal Cancer Research reveals that prostate cancer may soon be detected at earlier stages through a simple urine test. Researchers from Karolinska Institutet (Sweden), Imperial College London (UK), and Xiyuan Hospital (China) have identified new biomarkers with high diagnostic precision using artificial intelligence and extensive analyses of gene activity in tumors.

How the New Test Works

The innovative approach began with analyzing mRNA activity across thousands of individual cells in prostate tumors. By mapping the position and cancer grade of each cell, researchers constructed detailed digital models of prostate cancer. These models were then analyzed using AI to identify proteins that could serve as reliable biomarkers.

The research team tested these biomarkers in nearly 2,000 patients, examining blood, prostate tissue, and urine samples. Their findings revealed that a specific set of urine biomarkers could indicate both the presence and severity of prostate cancer with remarkable precision—surpassing the accuracy of PSA, the blood biomarker currently used in clinical practice.

Advantages Over Current Methods

This breakthrough offers several significant benefits compared to traditional screening methods:

"There are many advantages to measuring biomarkers in urine," explains principal investigator Mikael Benson, senior researcher at the Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet. "It's non-invasive and painless and can potentially be done at home. The sample can then be analyzed using routine methods in clinical labs."

Perhaps most importantly, more precise biomarkers than PSA could lead to earlier diagnosis and better prognoses for men with prostate cancer, while simultaneously reducing the number of unnecessary prostate biopsies in healthy men.

Related Research Advances

This study is part of a broader trend of improving prostate cancer detection through urine-based biomarkers.

Earlier this year, Vanderbilt University Medical Center reported on MyProstateScore 2.0 (MPS2), which measures 18 genes associated with prostate cancer. In a study published in JAMA Oncology involving nearly 800 patients with elevated PSA levels, this test demonstrated remarkable accuracy in ruling out clinically significant prostate cancer, allowing patients to avoid more invasive procedures like MRI and prostate biopsy.

According to research funded by the National Cancer Institute, MPS2 showed a 95% sensitivity and negative predictive value for Grade Group 2 cancers and 99% sensitivity for cancers Grade Group 3 and above. It's estimated that approximately 40% of unnecessary biopsies could be avoided using this test.

Another promising approach comes from researchers at the University of Michigan, who have developed a urinary test with 17 markers of cancer. Unlike earlier tests that included only 1-3 markers, this expanded panel aims to capture the diverse drivers of lethal prostate cancer more accurately.

What's Next?

Large-scale clinical trials are being planned to further validate these new biomarker tests. One such trial is being discussed with Professor Rakesh Heer of Imperial College London, co-author of the Karolinska Institutet study and head of TRANSFORM, the UK's national prostate cancer study, which offers a platform for expediting the testing of promising biomarkers.

For men concerned about prostate cancer, these advances represent hope for earlier, more accurate detection with less invasive methods. As these tests move through clinical validation, they may soon become standard tools in prostate cancer screening programs.

Sources

  1. Smelik, M., Diaz-Roncero Gonzalez, D., An, X., Heer, R., Henningsohn, L., Li, X., Wang, H., Zhao, Y., & Benson, M. (2025). Combining Spatial Transcriptomics, Pseudotime, and Machine Learning Enables Discovery of Biomarkers for Prostate Cancer. Cancer Research, 2025. DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-25-0269 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250428220907.htm

  2. Tosoian, J.J., Zhang, Y., Xiao, L., et al. (2024). MyProstateScore 2.0 (MPS2) for Detection of Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer. JAMA Oncology, 2024. https://news.vumc.org/2024/04/18/new-urine-test-has-higher-diagnostic-accuracy-for-prostate-cancer/

  3. National Cancer Institute. (2024). An Improved Prostate Cancer Biomarker Test May Help Men Avoid Unnecessary Biopsy. https://prevention.cancer.gov/news-and-events/blog/improved-prostate-cancer-biomarker-test-may-help-men-avoid-unnecessary-biopsy

  4. American Cancer Society. (2024). A New Urine Test May ID the Deadliest Prostate Cancers. https://www.cancer.org/research/acs-research-highlights/prostate-cancer-research-highlights/screening---early-detection-prostate-cancer-studies/in-the-future-a-urine-test-may-id-the-deadliest-prostate-cancer.html

Urine test could reveal early prostate cancer | ScienceDaily


A newly published study involving researchers from Karolinska Institutet indicates that prostate cancer can be diagnosed at an early stage through a simple urine sample. With the aid of AI and extensive analyses of gene activity in tumours, they have identified new biomarkers of high diagnostic precision.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common causes of male death globally. One of the main diagnostic hurdles is the lack of exact biomarkers able to identify the presence of an early tumour.

In this present study, researchers at Karolinska Institutet (Sweden), Imperial College London (UK) and Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing (China), have identified new, precise biomarkers. The results are presented in the journal Cancer Research.

Digital models of prostate cancer

On analysing the mRNA activity of all human genes in thousands of individual cells in prostate tumours, and knowing the position and degree of cancer of each cell, the researchers were able to construct digital models of prostate cancer.

The models were analysed with AI to find proteins that can be used as biomarkers. These biomarkers were then analysed in the blood, prostate tissue and urine of almost 2,000 patients.

The researchers identified a set of biomarkers in urine that were able to indicate the presence and severity of prostate cancer with a high degree of precision. According to their calculations, they surpass PSA, which is the blood biomarker in current clinical use.

"There are many advantages to measuring biomarkers in urine," explains principal investigator Mikael Benson, senior researcher at the Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet. "It's non-invasive and painless and can potentially be done at home. The sample can then be analysed using routine methods in clinical labs."

Needs evaluating in clinical studies

Large-scale clinical trials are being planned for the next phase of the research. One such is being discussed with Professor Rakesh Heer of Imperial College London, co-author of the study and head of TRANSFORM, the UK's national prostate cancer study, which offers a platform for expediting the testing of promising biomarkers.

"New, more precise biomarkers than PSA can lead to earlier diagnosis and better prognoses for men with prostate cancer," says Dr Benson. "Moreover, it can reduce the number of unnecessary prostate biopsies in healthy men."

The study was largely financed by the Swedish Cancer Society, Radiumhemmet and the Swedish Research Council. Mikael Benson is the scientific founder of Mavatar, Inc. There are no other reported conflicts of interest.

 

  1. Martin Smelik, Daniel Diaz-Roncero Gonzalez, Xiaojing An, Rakesh Heer, Lars Henningsohn, Xinxiu Li, Hui Wang, Yelin Zhao, Mikael Benson. Combining Spatial Transcriptomics, Pseudotime, and Machine Learning Enables Discovery of Biomarkers for Prostate Cancer. Cancer Research, 2025; DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-25-0269

Karolinska Institutet. "Urine test could reveal early prostate cancer." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 April 2025. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250428220907.htm>.

 

 

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