September is Urology Awareness Month. For many of us it is Urology Awareness Month every month of the year. Cancers affect many aspects of Urology; prostate and bladder being two of them. They are two of the more “common” cancers with prostate cancer increasingly linked to inherited genetic variants passed down from parent to child.
In the UK, about 10,000 people are diagnosed with bladder cancer each year, making it the 10th most common cancer. Most new cases are diagnosed in people aged 60 and over. Bladder cancer starts in the lining of the bladder. The bladder is the part of the body system that filters waste products out of your blood and makes urine (wee). This is called the urinary system, or urinary tract. The main symptom of bladder cancer is blood in your urine (known as haematuria). This is the same for both men and women. Bladder cancer can also cause problems with passing urine.
Almost everyone diagnosed with haematuria is currently offered a cystoscopy. This invasive, uncomfortable and costly hospital procedure involves a camera being passed through the urethra to the bladder. Bladder cancer is identified in about 10% of cystoscopies performed, making it one of the most expensive cancers to manage and treat.
The NHS reports that 110,000 patients are sent for a cystoscopy every year with up to 90% of them potentially spared the procedure by using the GALEAS bladder testing service.
Five NHS Trusts are now are now recruiting 1,400 patients in a study to compare the performance of the GALEAS bladder service with a cystoscopy.
The non-invasive test detects bladder cancer by picking up genetic markers in urine samples.
Ashwin Sridhar, consultant urologist at the University College of London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The GALEAS Bladder test represents a major advancement in bladder cancer diagnosis, offering a highly sensitive, non-invasive, and patient-friendly alternative to traditional diagnostic methods. Its ability to accurately detect and monitor bladder cancer through simple urine samples could significantly improve patient outcomes and optimise healthcare resources.”
The Forensic Genomics Innovation Hub is proud to offer this test through our partnership with Informed Genomics to anyone diagnosed with blood in the urine who would like to potentially remove the need for a cystoscopy. The test is already covered by BUPA for eligible policy holders.
Learn more about the development of the test. GALEAS Bladder Whitepaper
You can order the test directly from our GALEAS bladder webpage.
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Forensic Genomics Innovation Hub
Laboratory 12
Southampton Science Park
1 Venture Road
Southampton
SO16 7NP
United Kingdom
Email: lab@fgih.co.uk
Phone: (+44) 02380118980
