New Urine Test Could Spare Women Invasive Cancer Checks

A novel test examining cells from urine and vaginal fluid may soon help rule out womb cancer in postmenopausal women with bleeding. This development, spearheaded by researchers at the University of Manchester, could transform care for numerous women annually by reducing reliance on invasive tests. Around 10,200 women in the UK are diagnosed with womb cancer each year, with postmenopausal bleeding being a common symptom that triggers urgent referrals. Current diagnostic procedures include ultrasounds, biopsies, and hysteroscopies. However, studies indicate that only a small percentage of women presenting with this symptom actually have cancer, making many of these investigations potentially unnecessary. A study published in Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women's Health involving 1,864 women demonstrated that combining urine and vaginal cell sample results correctly identified 80% of cancers. The test also exhibited a high negative predictive value of 98.8% for womb cancer. Furthermore, it proved highly effective in detecting aggressive forms of the disease, identifying 95.8% of high-grade tumors and 96.4% of cancers that had spread. Notably, the test also accurately identified 100% of cancers in Black women. The vaginal fluid test showed slightly superior performance compared to urine alone. Researchers believe this triage test can support rapid diagnosis, provide swift reassurance, and alleviate the burden of invasive testing for affected women. Professor Emma Davidson highlighted the potential to reassure many women earlier in the diagnostic process if further studies confirm these findings in routine practice.