A novel urine biomarker for prostate cancer can detect the presence of aggressive tumors and can also signal the amount of these tumors, suggests new research published online in Life.

In a study of biopsy and prostatectomy samples, the multigene Prostate Urine Risk-4 (PUR-4) signature was found to have a strong correlation with the presence and amount of Gleason pattern 4 tumors, but not with tumors of less aggressive histology.

Considering that more cases of Gleason pattern 4 tumors are linked with disease progression in patients at intermediate risk, the study indicated that PUR can identify men at intermediate risk who may need treatment and those who may be managed conservatively with surveillance.

Based on biopsy samples from 215 men with prostate cancer, it was noted that PUR-4 signature values had a significant correlation with increasing Gleason grade… (Medscape)