Prostate cancer biomarker discovery

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. To reduce prostate cancer mortality, health care providers put an effort on early diagnosis of cancer by screening. Unfortunately, current prostate cancer diagnostic cascade results in over-diagnosis and over-treatment of disease that is clinically insignificant. 2010 UK National Screening Committee recommended against screening for prostate cancer using a blood test called PSA, but an alternative screening test is not yet available. Cambridge Oncometrix develops a novel primary prostate cancer screening test, which is based on the novel proprietary cancer biomarkers. Preliminary results obtained using tissue biopsies showed better sensitivity and specificity than any of the currently screening test used in the clinic. Cambridge Oncomerix faces a challenge to transform the tissue-based test into a reliable primary screening test, which could be used in a clinical or domestic setting.