A groundbreaking new saliva test for prostate cancer could soon change how the disease is detected – especially the most aggressive forms – without a visit to the GP.
Developed by researchers in the UK, this at-home test analyses DNA to identify a person’s genetic risk, and early trials show it outperforms the current PSA blood test.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, with around 55,000 cases a year. The current PSA test can miss aggressive cancers or give false positives, meaning unnecessary treatments.
This new spit test, however, focuses on genetic risk markers; and has been shown to detect aggressive cancers that the PSA test and even MRI scans might miss.
In a recent trial of over 6,000 men, nearly 40% of prostate cancers found by the new test would have gone undetected using current NHS methods. That means earlier diagnoses, targeted treatment, and potentially thousands of lives saved.
The test isn’t yet available nationwide, but a major clinical trial is underway to evaluate its effectiveness on a larger scale and across diverse populations.
Experts hope this will pave the way for it to become part of routine screening – especially for men over 50 or those with a family history of prostate cancer.
Until then, if you’re concerned about your risk, talk to your GP and keep up to date as this exciting new development hopefully becomes available on the NHS.
