Where can I get the new urine test for bladder cancer?

This page is about the urine test Mcm5. There is information about

• The Mcm5 test
• Research into Mcm5
• Why the test is not available yet

The urine test (known as the Mcm5 test) has been in the press a lot since the announcement that it was going on trial. It appears to be an accurate way of picking up bladder cancer. Although the main focus of research so far has been on bladder cancer, it seems that the test may also help to diagnose prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, gallbladder cancer or cancer of the bile duct. 

Bladder cancer is normally found by looking directly into the bladder with a camera (a cystoscopy). Doctors aim to develop a less invasive test, but they need to prove that it is accurate and reliable.

Cancer Research UK has been funding a large study that aims to determine the accuracy of the Mcm5 test for diagnosing bladder cancer and for picking up bladder cancer that has come back (recurred). The trial involved 3,000 patients and took place at the Freeman hospital in Newcastle Upon Tyne . You can find the Mcm5 bladder cancer trial on our clinical trials database.

The Mcm5 test may also be able to pick up prostate cancer. This is highly experimental as only 12 people have been included in research that has reported up to now. Pilot studies were included in the bladder cancer trial to look at the suitability of this test as a way of picking up prostate cancer.

A small trial showed that the Mcm5 test can help to diagnose cancers of the pancreas, gallbladder and bile duct. Now a bigger trial is under way to try to confirm this. This Mcm5 trial for pancreatic, gallbladder and bile duct cancers is also listed on our clinical trials database.

We understand it can be very frustrating for people to read about new tests and then be told that they are not available. Cancer research is often reported at an early stage when a test or treatment shows promise, but has not been fully investigated.

This type of large study is needed before the test can be adopted as routine practice. It is very important that we are sure it works and is reliable. It would be potentially very dangerous if a screening test was used that missed cancers. People could be reassured that they didn't have cancer when in fact, they did. This could even lead to people ignoring symptoms. The test will not be available as a standard investigation for bladder cancer until the results of the trial, and possibly further studies are known.

There is more information about this test, and research into other urine tests for bladder cancer, on our bladder cancer research page.