ACS Nano is a monthly, peer-reviewed, scientific journal by the American Chemical Society.

The team developed an ultrasensitive semiconductor sensor system that measures trace amounts of four cancer factors from urine to determine whether a patient has prostate cancer. In order to do so, the scientists trained AI to create an algorithm that was then able to precisely detect prostate cancer.

According to the scientists, 76 urinary samples that were studied had nearly 100 percent accuracy.

Dr. Kwan Hyi Lee from KIST who led the team, said “This research developed a smart biosensor that can rapidly diagnose prostate cancer with almost 100 percent accuracy only through a urine test, and it can be further utilized in the precise diagnoses of other cancers using a urine test.

“Other methods of diagnosis require invasive and uncomfortable biopsies in order to get more than 30 percent accuracy, so this is a big step up given the team’s method is non-invasive and has a higher percentage of accuracy.

“There are some other non-invasive options, such as taking urine samples. However, the concentration of cancer factors isn’t high in urine, therefore a urine-based biosensor used to detect high-risk groups doesn’t offer a precise diagnosis.”

Lee and his team at KIST decided to improve the urine-based diagnosing method. The method uses an electrical-signal-based ultrasensitive biosensor. And in order to overcome the issue of low accuracy rates, the team used different kinds of cancer factors, rather than just one, to increase the diagnostic accuracy.

A cancer factor, according to the scientists, is a cancer-related biological index that can measure and evaluate drug reactivity objectively for a normal biological process, disease progress, and a treatment method.

“For patients who need surgery and/or treatments, cancer will be diagnosed with high accuracy by utilizing urine to minimize unnecessary biopsy and treatments, which can dramatically reduce medical costs and medical staff’s fatigue,” the scientists said.

Before the latest technique, according to Mayo Clinic, prostate cancer can be detected by Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test.

“A blood sample is drawn from a vein in your arm and analysed for PSA, a substance that’s naturally produced by your prostate gland. It’s normal for a small amount of PSA to be in your bloodstream. However, if a higher than usual level is found, it may indicate prostate infection, inflammation, enlargement or cancer”, the clinic said.

In 2018, researchers from Northwestern University, United State in a study published in Science Daily, found that men with inflammatory bowel disease have four to five times higher risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

The researchers warned that men with inflammatory bowel disease have higher than average PSA values, and this group also has a significantly higher risk of potentially dangerous prostate cancer.

Lead study author, Dr. Shilajit Kundu, said “These patients may need to be screened more carefully than a man without inflammatory bowel disease. If a man with inflammatory bowel disease has an elevated PSA, it may be an indicator of prostate cancer.”

Experts in an article published in the World Journal of Oncology, say prostate cancer is the second most frequent cancer diagnosis made in men and the fifth leading cause of death worldwide.

According to the latest global cancer data by the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, the cancer burden rose to 19.3 million new cases and 10.0 million cancer deaths in 2020.

“One in five people worldwide develop cancer during their lifetime, and one in eight men and one in 11 women die from the disease. In men, lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death, followed by prostate cancer”, IARC says.

Reacting to the study, Senior Medical Laboratory Scientist at the Rotan Medical Diagnostics Ltd., Akujuobi Igwe, told PUNCH HealthWise that the technique is new and that it is not readily available everywhere, including Nigeria.

Igwe, however, said, “It is a good one, very profitable having 100 percent accuracy rate. It will reduce the cost of diagnoses.

“The PSA test is very expensive and it is as high as between N10,000 and N12,000 and it takes a lot of time.

“With this new technique, the test is done within 20 minutes. This means that it will help in better management of people who are at risk of developing prostate cancer.

“It is very fast and once you finish your test within 20 minutes, you can have your result.”

source: Punch