RNA Molecules Found In Urine Could Help To Detect The Risk Of Prostate Cancer

Recent findings published in the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics show that RNA molecules found in urine could be used to help detect prostate cancer and even serve for a marker in the screening of this health issue.

"We have identified a set of lncRNAs that appear to have an important role in prostate cancer diagnostics. The findings advance our understanding of the role of lncRNAs in cancer biology and, importantly, broaden the opportunity to use lncRNAs as biomarkers to detect prostate cancer," said Ranjan J. Perera from Sanford-Burnham's Lake Nona campus in Orlando, according to Science Codex.

Researchers discovered long non-coding RNA molecules that, up until recently were thought to be functionless. Yet the present study from Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute has revealed their detection in urine samples, which could mean big things for easier and less-expensive testing for prostate cancer.

"There is a tremendous unmet clinical need for better non-invasive screening tools for early detection of prostate cancer to reduce the overtreatment and morbidity of this disease," added Dr. Patel. "Our findings represent a promising approach to meet this demand."

For the study, researchers compared long non-coding RNA molecules in prostate cancer cells to normal prostate cancer cells, tissue samples of prostate adenocarcinoma and normal tissue samples and in urine samples of prostate cancer patients, patients with benign hyperplasia and healthy men. Elevated levels of RNA molecules were found in prostate cancer patients.

Researchers said they are hopeful that long non-coding RNA molecules can help in providing better screening for prostate cancer specific antigens (PSA) blood tests.

"While elevated PSA can be an alert to a lethal cancer, it can also detect less aggressive cancers that may never do any harm. Moreover, only 25 percent of men with raised PSA levels that have a biopsy actually have prostate cancer. Prostate cancer needs to be screened for; we just need to find a better marker," said Vipul Patel, medical director of the Global Robotics Institute at Orlando's Florida Hospital, according to News Wise.