Scientists near prostate cancer urine test

They have discovered that a protein found in urine is affected by a genetic change linked to the cancer. Though more research is required, their work could lead to the development of a reliable test costing €6.25 (£5.50).

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, killing about 10,000 men every year.

There is currently no routine screening programme, although men with a family history of the disease can have a prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test to detect signs of the disease.

Study leader Dr Hayley Whitaker, from Cancer Research UK charity's Cambridge Research Institute, said "We looked in tissue and urine from over 350 men with and without prostate cancer to find out how much MSMB they had,” she said.

"We then looked to see who had the genetic change. It was really exciting to find out that the genetic change and the amount of protein were linked.”

Whitaker said the protein is easy to detect because it is found in urine and would potentially be a very simple test to carry out.