Researchers have developed a test that detects prostate cancer in less than 15 minutes using dried blood spots.
The test works by analyzing crystal-like structures in dehydrated blood for signs of the disease and early trials found the test to be 90 percent accurate.
The study, titled “Insights into the polycrystalline microstructure of blood films using the 3D Mueller array imaging approach,” was conducted by researchers at Aston University in Birmingham and published in the online journal Scientific Reports.
The researchers' findings could potentially transform the diagnosis of prostate cancer, the most common form of cancer in men in different countries, including Nigeria, where prevalence is high.
Prostate cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the prostate, a small gland in men that produces seminal fluid.
It is the most common and deadliest type of cancer among Nigerian men, with 32.8 cases and 16.3 deaths per 100,000 men.
This figure is more than double the mortality rate in North America, and an estimated 80 percent of Nigerians are incurable at the time of diagnosis.
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West Africa has the fifth highest risk of prostate cancer mortality worldwide and Nigeria has the largest population in the region.
This new study did not specifically mention the impact of the test in Nigeria or West Africa.
However, he noted that the high prevalence of prostate cancer is partly due to late diagnosis and that it is difficult to accurately diagnose the cancer with a simple test.
Many men do not experience symptoms in the early stages of the disease, leading to late detection.
Researchers have described the new test as a major advance in early detection and diagnosis of the disease.
New test
Lead author of the research, Igor Meglinski of the Institute of Photonic Technologies at Aston University in Birmingham, UK, described the test as a “revolutionary” blood test.
For the study, researchers analyzed 108 dried blood smear samples from healthy volunteers and those who had prostate cancer.
He said the researchers examined the protein structures in the blood samples using a technique known as new polarization-based image reconstruction.
It analyses how proteins change their 3D shape and bind together during the early stages of the disease, performing a detailed layer-by-layer analysis of dried blood smears.
According to Meglinski, this step is crucial to identify significant differences between healthy and cancerous samples.
The entire process, including drying time, takes up to 15 minutes.
Advances in cancer diagnosis
Mr Meglinski said the test marks a significant advance in cancer diagnosis and monitoring worldwide.
He said it marks an important step forward in personalized medicine and oncology.
“This breakthrough opens up new avenues for cancer diagnosis and monitoring, representing a substantial advance in personalized medicine and oncology.
“Prostate cancer accounts for nearly 10 percent of cancer deaths in men and is a leading cause of death in older men. However, the life expectancy of 90 percent of patients diagnosed with stage 1 or 2 prostate cancer is 15 years or more.
“By enabling earlier and more accurate detection, our blood test has the potential to significantly improve outcomes and survival rates for many patients,” he said.
However, he noted that the results are preliminary and that larger clinical trials are still needed to confirm the test's potential.
Best option?
Researchers said the technique uses blood samples instead of invasive biopsies, reducing both risk and discomfort for patients.
Currently, the method involves a blood test for the protein-specific antigen (PSA). Men with elevated PSA levels are referred for further testing, such as a biopsy, to confirm the cancer diagnosis.
But Prostate Cancer UK's director of research, Matthew Hobbs, said the main challenge was to prove that these tests were an improvement on the current option.
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Mr Hobbs said: “The big question is to show that these tests are better than what we already have.
“So far, this has been tested on a relatively small number of samples, so we will need to see more research before we can know how effective it will be.”
Prostate Cancer UK is an organisation that funds research into prostate cancer.
Mr Hobbs, who was not involved in the study, said: “Every year, more than 10,000 men are diagnosed when their cancer has already spread and become incurable.
“That’s why it’s so important that we find new and better tests for prostate cancer.”