Canadian Men Among the First in the World to Trial New At-Home Prostate Cancer Test

MOVEMBER-FUNDED TEST PREDICTS WHETHER PATIENTS WILL REQUIRE TREATMENT UP TO FIVE YEARS EARLIER THAN STANDARD CLINICAL METHODS

TORONTO, June 15, 2021 /CNW/ - Movember, Canada's leading men's health organization, announced today that a group of 75 Canadian men have been selected to trial a home test kit for prostate cancer. The Prostate Urine Risk (PUR) test, which has been developed by a research team from the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, is intended to diagnose aggressive prostate cancer and in a pilot study predicted which patients required treatment up to five years earlier than standard clinical methods.   Prostate Cancer is the most common cancer in Canadian men – 63 men are diagnosed, and 11 men die from the disease every day. The current trial thousands of men from around the world and, pending results, may mean the PUR test could be available to men within as little as three years.

The PUR test aims to identify biomarkers for prostate cancer present in men's urine, specifically the level of Gleason 4 within the prostate. The test hopes to minimize the overtreatment of prostate cancer, and instead help distinguish aggressive cancers requiring treatment from non-aggressive cancers that may not require treatment, right at the time of diagnosis. Although prostate cancer can be diagnosed via a blood test and biopsy, it can be difficult for clinicians to distinguish between indolent cases and those which may become life threatening.  By identifying these nonaggressive cancers earlier, men can potentially avoid unnecessary treatment, specifically the commonly associated treatment side effects like impotence.

The PUR test has been previously tested on a small group of participants. However, in the next phase of the research study, it will be rolled out to men in the UK, Italy, Germany, and include 75 men participating through the University of Calgary who are undergoing active surveillance for prostate cancer. The test would revolutionize the diagnosis of prostate cancer, allowing men to provide a urine sample in the comfort of their own home, instead of going into a clinic or having to undergo an uncomfortable biopsy.

"Prostate cancer usually develops slowly and the majority of cancers will not require treatment in a man's lifetime.  However doctors struggle to predict which tumors will become aggressive, making it hard to decide on treatment for many men,"  said lead researcher Dr. Jeremy Clark, from UEA's Norwich Medical School.  "The PUR test can accurately predict when a man's disease will become aggressive and require treatment, with the added advantage of allowing men to complete it at home.  Reducing doctor visits and stress levels will hopefully result in more patients getting tested and more lives being saved."

"The PUR test has great potential to transform the way prostate cancer is managed," said Todd Minerson, Country Director, Movember Canada.  "Not only can it accurately predict when a man's disease will become aggressive and require treatment, but it has the added advantage of allowing men to complete it at home.  It's a game-changer made possible in part from the thousands of Canadians that participate in Movember year over year."

The PUR test was funded through Movember's Global Action Plan (GAP), bringing together international researchers to collaborate on global initiatives aimed at addressing key issues affecting men with prostate or testicular cancer.

For more information, please visit Movember.com.

About Movember: 

Movember is the leading charity changing the face of men's health on a global scale, focusing on mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer. The charity raises funds to deliver innovative, breakthrough research and support programmes that enable men to live happier, healthier and longer lives. Committed to disrupting the status quo, millions have joined the movement, helping fund over 1,250 projects around the world. In addition to tackling key health issues faced by men, Movember is working to encourage men to stay healthy in all areas of their life, with a focus on men staying socially connected and becoming more open to discussing their health and significant moments in their lives. The charity's vision is to have an everlasting impact on the face of men's health. To donate or learn more, please visit Movember.com.

SOURCE Movember Canada

Press contact: Fresh PR, Jo-Anne Stayner, [email protected], [phone]; Movember Canada, Sonya Friesen, Public Relations Manager (Canada), [email protected]