Researchers have developed a urine test that detects head and neck cancer DNA fragments, paving the way for early detection.
- Scientists have developed a urine test that can detect DNA from head and neck tumors. A non-invasive alternative to blood samples, which could facilitate the early detection of this type of cancer.
- Unlike conventional tests, the new test manages to detect ultra-short fragments of DNA released by tumor cells, which pass from the bloodstream to urine via the kidneys.
- The new method could help design other urine-based tests that identify other cancers early, such as breast cancer and acute myeloid leukemia.
“Many people don’t know that urine carries information about many different types of cancers.” Scientists from Rogel Cancer Center from the University of Michigan, in the United States, have developed a urine test capable of detecting the DNA of head and neck cancer tumors, or ENT. A non-invasive alternative to blood samples, which could facilitate early detection of this type of cancer, and perhaps others. Their work was published in the journal JCI Insight.
A urine test could better detect head and neck cancer
Using whole genome sequencing, the researchers showed that DNA fragments released by tumor cells, which pass from the bloodstream to urine through the kidneys, are “mostly ultra-short, with less than 50 base pairs”can we read in a communicated. However, given their small size, these fragments found in urine are “likely to be missed” by conventional liquid biopsy tests (blood, urine, etc.) aimed at detecting circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). And for good reason, these exams are designed to “target longer DNA fragments”.
The team of scientists used a “unconventional approach” to develop a urine test, still in the trial phase, likely to better detect head and neck cancer linked to human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, responsible for many cancers. By analyzing urine samples sent by volunteer patients in the laboratory, the new examination made it possible to “detect cancer recurrences much earlier than would typically occur based on clinical imaging.”
Other urine-based tests to detect other types of cancer?
While the study focused on head and neck cancer, the authors say their innovative method could help design other urine-based tests that identify other cancers early, and thus increase the chances of recovery. For example, a test that detects tumor DNA circulating in the urine of breast cancer patients and others with acute myeloid leukemia.
“Many people don’t know that urine carries information about many different types of cancer, although it is made in the kidneys, explain the researchers. Additionally, these new tests are likely to have much higher compliance in patients requiring follow-up after treatment, due to the convenience of self-collection of urine samples compared to blood tests.”
