London - A simple urine test that is able to distinguish between aggressive and less aggressive bladder cancers could help tailor treatment for sufferers.
In a study involving 600 patients, researchers from the University of Birmingham measured the levels of EpCAM, a protein shed by bladder tumours and passed out in the urine.
Higher levels of the protein were linked to more aggressive cancers, according to the study, which was funded by Cancer Research UK.
This new understanding could mean that patients will be given treatment appropriate to the aggressiveness of their cancer, and further studies are now being planned.
Around 10 300 cases of bladder cancer are diagnosed every year among the UK population.
Daily Mail