Saliva Test Outperforms Blood Test in Detecting Aggressive Prostate Cancer, Study Shows
June 3, 2024Researchers presented early findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting suggesting that at-home saliva tests are more accurate than traditional blood tests in identifying men at high genetic risk for aggressive prostate cancer.
The BARCODE 1 study, involving over 6,000 European men aged 55-69, found that the saliva test could detect genetic variants associated with the disease, resulting in fewer false positives and higher detection rates for aggressive tumors.
This simple and cost-effective spit test has the potential to improve early diagnosis and save lives.
Prostate cancer patient Dheeresh, who was diagnosed early through the trial, emphasized the life-saving impact of this research.
Supported by the Bob Willis Fund, further research is needed to confirm the effectiveness and potential widespread use of this more targeted screening approach based on genetic risk factors.
Summary based on 3 sources
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Sources
BBC News • Jun 1, 2024
Prostate cancer hopes raised after at-home spit test trialsThe Independent • Jun 1, 2024
Prostate cancer spit test raises hopes for men with genetic risk of diseaseGround News • Jun 1, 2024
Spit test for prostate cancer could save thousands of lives, researchers say