Scientists from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have devised a urine test to diagnose kidney cancer early, before it spreads and becomes very difficult to treat. If developed into a standard screening tool for kidney cancer, the test could end up saving many lives. The test measures two protein biomarkers, aquaporin-1 (AQP1) and perlipin-2 (PLIN2), which are only elevated in patients with kidney cancer. Because the test is so specific, it may also be used to rule out cancer in patients with kidney tumors. In a recent study, the test proved more than 95% accurate, with no false positive results for patients with other types of kidney disease or benign tumors.
Source:
Kidney Cancer Detected Early with Urine Test, ScienceDaily, March 19, 2015