NHS trial shows at-home urine test detects over nine-tenths of bladder cancers

An NHS-sponsored trial of the Galeas at-home urine test, developed by the University of Birmingham with Cancer Research UK funding and commercialised by Nonacus, examined almost 1,000 patients at seven English and Scottish hospitals. The study, published in European Urology Oncology, reported that the test detected 92% of bladder cancer cases and that a negative result meant there was more than a 99% likelihood the patient did not have the disease.

The assay looks for over 450 DNA mutations across 23 genes shed into urine by tumours. Researchers hope the tool can flag high-risk patients for faster cystoscopy, potentially reducing the number of invasive procedures performed each year. Over 300,000 cystoscopies are currently carried out annually in the UK, often with long waiting times. Experts such as Professor Richard Bryan and Cancer Research UK’s Michelle Mitchell emphasized the need for faster, less invasive diagnostic options.