BBC film with UEA experts working on a potential ‘game-changer’ in the fight against prostate cancer
By: Communications
A film crew from BBC Look East recently visited the Bob Champion Research and Education Centre to interview Professor Colin Cooper about developments in the diagnosis of prostate cancer that are being labelled a potential ‘game-changer’.
The current PSA test, which requires a blood sample, is accurate at detecting the cancer which around one in eight men in the UK will develop, however it isn’t able to determine the severity of the cancer, and whether treatment is required, with many men able to live with the more harmless form without intervention.
The two key developments from the team at UEA, which includes Prof Colin Cooper and Dr Rachel Hurst, is a home urine-testing kit which is able to identify the existence and severity of prostate cancer, called the Prostate Urine Risk (PUR) test, and a type of biopsy analysis called the ‘tiger test' which explores a person’s genetics for clues to more aggressive types of the disease. 
Image: The Prostate Urine Risk test which can be completed in the comfort of the home
It is hoped the PUR test, which is currently going through accreditation, will become available next year, with a regional trial in the works at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, before possibly being expanded UK-wide afterwards.
The exciting developments at the Bob Champion Research and Education Centre over the past eight years have been made possible thanks to £8m in grants and charitable donations, much of which has been driven by the work of the Development, Alumni and Campaigns team.
Related Articles
How dismissed symptoms can push patients to breaking point
Patients have been left feeling suicidal after feeling like their doctor was saying their symptoms were ‘all in their head’ – according to research from the University of East Anglia and the University of Cambridge.
Read more
‘Hiding in plain sight’ – new bacteria discovered in DNA samples from prostate cancer patients
University of East Anglia researchers have discovered the genetic blueprints of 18 new bacterial species collected from prostate cancer patients.
Read more
Thousands of heart patients could avoid permanent stents
Thousands of heart patients could be treated without having a metal stent permanently implanted in their arteries – according to research from the University of East Anglia.
Read more