In the future, a saliva test analysing men’s DNA could hold the key to monitoring prostate cancer risk.
BBC News has reported that scientists believe such a test could ‘turn the tide’ on the disease by identifying those at greatest risk and ensuring they undergo biopsies or scans.
The test looks for 130 mutations in men’s DNA, each of which can increase the risk of prostate cancers developing.
In the study, scientists tested men aged 55-69 and calculated their risk. Men in the top 10% of scores were invited for further investigations. This included a biopsy and an MRI scan.
The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed:
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Out of 745 men with a high score, 468 were prepared to have the extra tests
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187 were found to have prostate cancer
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103 were higher risk tumours that needed treatment, 74 of these would not have been discovered at this stage with current tests
Though still years from becoming routine, and amid growing calls for a national screening programme, this reflects the significant progress being made in tackling what is now the most common cancer in England.
