It is estimated that the UroMark test could save the NHS £25 million every year by ending the need for unnecessary cystoscopies, the treatment for bladder cancer.
Dr Andy Feber is one of the researchers at UCl:
“The survival of bladder cancer patients hasn’t really changed in the last 20 years because we haven’t been catching the cancer fast enough,” he said.
“Patients, particularly women, are often diagnosed late with bladder cancer and often have to visit a GP several times with symptoms before detection, so they are harder to treat and the outcome is worse. But with this test we can detect the cancer earlier on and that will improve survival rates. This test could make a huge difference – a good proportion of lives could be saved.”