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Urine test to monitor bladder cancer treatment could be on the horizon

Immune cells present in the urine have the ability to accurately mirror the cancerous cells in bladder tumours, a new research published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine suggests. In the future, this could enable tracking of therapeutic response to cancer treatment quickly and efficiently with the help of a urine test.

Researchers at the University College London Cancer Institute and University College London Hospitals investigated 32 patients with invasive bladder cancer whose urine and blood samples were collected on the day of tumour removal surgery and compared them with tumour and healthy bladder tissues.

T cells were found in the urine of patients with bladder cancer, typically absent in healthy individuals. These T cells matched the cells found within the tumour environment, irrespective of the stage of cancer and treatment history. The researchers also found a relationship between urine-derived T cells and the likelihood of survival, as higher numbers of these cells are predictive of cancer recurrence.

"Our results show for the first time that urine liquid biopsies can be used as a non-invasive window into the bladder tumour environment," said Dr. Sophia Wong, the co-lead author of the study.


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