UEA showcases world-leading advances in prostate cancer diagnostics
By: Communications
UEA scientists are set to showcase groundbreaking advances in prostate cancer research at the House of Commons.
They will present two new diagnostic tests at a meeting with parliamentarians and charities.
The team say their tests could transform diagnosis and treatment — potentially saving thousands of lives and millions of pounds annually.
The event will be hosted by Alice Macdonald MP on Wednesday, June 18. Prof Colin Cooper, Chair of Cancer Genetics at UEA and a leader of the global Pan Prostate Cancer Group, will present his team’s work.
10 years of research
The Prostate Urine Risk (PUR) test and the Tiger Test have taken 10 years to develop and the PUR test will help address flaws of the PSA blood test, which fails to reliably distinguish dangerous from harmless prostate cancers and also misses up to 10 per cent of cases - often the most aggressive ones.
Prof Colin Cooper, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said: “We now have successful tests to enable the UK to lead the world in improving prostate cancer diagnosis.
“The UEA tests offer earlier, more accurate identification of life-threatening disease, and could ease financial pressures on the NHS.”
Both tests are subject to clinical accreditation prior to full trial roll-out and could be in regular use by 2027.
Prof Cooper will also warn the meeting about the mathematical contamination of national studies with large quantities of harmless disease obscuring the most valuable information relating to harmful cancer genes.
Smarter, faster, earlier
The meeting in Parliament, titled ‘Smarter-Faster-Earlier’ was convened by UEA Vice-Chancellor Prof David Maguire.
He is set to highlight UEA’s medical microbiology strengths and the crucial role of its collaboration with the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and its patients, who have contributed to the research.
UEA Chancellor, Dame Jenny Abramsky GBE, said: “We really shouldn’t need another Bob Willis, Chris Hoy or Joe Biden to further raise the profile of this very common cancer.”
She will call on Government and medical research bodies to boost research funding necessary to complete the developments, whilst thanking the charities and donors responsible for the £8.5m funding of the UEA developments to date.
A revolution in prostate cancer diagnosis
Nearly 40 years after breast cancer screening was introduced and referring to the planned national study in prostate cancer screening which may take 10-15 years to report, Dame Jenny said: “Men cannot wait this long – we do not need more evolution, we need a revolution in prostate cancer diagnosis!
“The opportunity before us now with the UEA tests is to be smarter, faster and earlier and for the UK to lead the western world in prostate cancer diagnostics.”
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