A urine analysis for prostate cancer

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Project Description

Prostate cancer is one of the most common oncological diseases and the second most common cause of cancer-related death for men worldwide. Today, the diagnosis of prostate cancer is only made following a prostate biopsy, a procedure that the urologist will recommend after an examination that includes a digital-rectal examination and evaluation of serum levels of PSA (prostate-specific antigen).
The PSA test is therefore a preliminary examination with the aim of identifying those individuals most likely to have developed prostate cancer. However, out of three men who have an elevated PSA value in their blood, only one individual is found to have prostate cancer, underlining the poor accuracy of this test. In addition, as it is not possible today to determine with certainty how fast a prostate tumour will grow, it is often the case that even indolent tumours are treated aggressively by radiotherapy or surgical resection, with serious negative repercussions on men's quality of life. For this reason, it is urgently necessary to identify new methods to detect men at risk of developing prostate cancer and thus reduce biopsy examinations on individuals who would not need them.
In a preliminary study of 400 men who underwent prostate biopsy, we found a combination of molecules present in different amounts in the urine of healthy subjects and men diagnosed with prostate cancer, and interestingly, the amount of these molecules changes gradually as the aggressiveness of the tumour increases.
Confirming the data we have on a second study group could allow us to lay the foundations for a valid and effective method of screening for prostate cancer and thus save many men from having to undergo highly invasive medical procedures they would not need.

Project beneficiaries

Every year, around 35,000 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed in Italy, and to make these diagnoses, around 120,000 men undergo a prostate biopsy. The direct beneficiaries of this project are the more than 80,000 men who undergo a highly invasive medical procedure every year without needing it and the National Health System that pays for these unnecessary services. The success of this project would therefore potentially have both social and economic benefits.

Activities of the organisation

Since 2001, the Molinette Research Foundation has been engaged in three fundamental fields: support for scientific research, support for the hospital in its concrete needs, and collaboration with other non-profit organisations operating within the City of Health and Science of Turin.