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April 12, 2010
New Findings Reveal Urine Tests Could Diagnose Kidney Cancer
by Denene Brox
The statistics are startling: 50,000 Americans are diagnosed with kidney cancer and 13,000 die from the disease each year. Early detection isn't common, increasing the risk of dealth. A new study from researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, offers new hope for early detection of kidney cancer. The study reveals a link between a pair of proteins in the urine and the diagnosis of kidney cancer.
The team led by Senior scientist Evan D. Kharasch, MD, PhD, has found a pair of proteins excreted in a person's urine that may help diagnose kidney cancer and save lives. This research is the first to have discovered these proteins, which (according to the research team) can reveal 90% of all kidney cancers.
The study was conducted on 42 patients who were diagnosed with kidney cancer through abdominal imaging tests. For comparison, the study also included 15 patients not diagnosed with cancer but who were undergoing surgery, plus 19 healthy volunteers. The study revealed large quantities of the proteins only in the 42 kidney cancer patients.
Kharasch said of the findings, “We believe that in the same way we use mammograms to screen for breast cancer and blood tests to screen for prostate cancer, we may have the opportunity to detect these proteins in urine as a way to screen for kidney cancer.”
For additional information about kidney cancer, its diagnosis and care, or advice on complementary treatment methods, please don't hesitate to contact Dr. Scherr.
The findings of the research were published online in the May issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Source: Health Jockey
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