One wee test could detect cancer threat

A SIMPLE urine test could be used to detect cancers of the gut, stomach and pancreas much sooner, according to Edinburgh University researchers.

They have identified key proteins in the urine of patients with advanced cancers, and these findings could lead to earlier detection and improved survival rates.

Currently, only around 10 per cent of patients with these cancers - which tend to be aggressive - are still alive five years after diagnosis because they are often only spotted at an advanced stage.

Dr Holger Husi, of the university's Tissue Injury and Repair Group, said: "The aim of this work is to enable these cancers to be diagnosed much earlier. This would help us to treat the cancer before it has a chance to spread. Earlier diagnosis would mean that curative surgery or chemotherapy would be possible for more patients."