Jiménez Díaz Foundation adopts Bladder Epicheck biomarker to optimize diagnosis and monitoring of bladder cancer patients

The use of this biomarker is an important advance in the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with bladder cancer, helping to reduce unnecessary interventions in the urinary tract and having a significant positive impact on the quality of life of affected patients. Incorporating its use into diagnostic protocols can significantly improve the accuracy of detecting high-grade bladder tumors, aid decision-making, and, in some patients and circumstances, reduce the frequency and/or need for cystoscopy without the need to undergo high-grade Presence of bladder tumors.aggressive tumors

Bladder cancer is the ninth most diagnosed cancer in the world and is usually diagnosed around the age of 70. Smoking is the main risk factor, and hematuria (the presence of blood in the urine) is the most common associated symptom. There are clear geographical differences in the condition, with urinary tract tumors being more common in Western Europe, including Spain, and in North America than in Asia or Eastern Europe.

One of the most positive aspects of the evolution of such tumors is that in most cases they are diagnosed at an early stage of development, which facilitates cure by surgery, especially transurethral resection, followed by instillation chemotherapy or regular Bladder Immunotherapy..

However, “when tumors progress to advanced stages, cure may be difficult or even impossible, and the goals of treatment shift toward prolonging survival and improving the patient’s quality of life,” Dr. Ramiro Cabello Benavente, Deputy Director of the Department of Urology and Head of the Department of Urological Oncology at the Jiménez Díaz Foundation University Hospital.

The diagnosis and monitoring of bladder cancer requires invasive tests that have a significant impact on the patient, as ongoing monitoring must be based on the risk of tumor recurrence and progression that causes discomfort with repeated invasive tests. cystoscopy) and surgery (transurethral cystectomy); and they also require time, personnel, and specific organization to perform.

Non-invasive procedure with high sensitivity and specificity

To optimize this process, the Madrid hospital has incorporated a new non-invasive tool into its treatment arsenal: the Bladder Epicheck® DNA Methylation Test, a genomic test based on PCR analysis, based on urine obtained through urination DNA present in the liquid. , which enabled the study of a panel of 15 markers to detect DNA methylation changes specific to bladder tumors.

“The use of this biomarker is an important advance in the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with bladder cancer, helping to reduce unnecessary interventions in the urinary tract and having a significant positive impact on the quality of life of affected patients,” hair dr., which highlights the convenience the test offers patients, as it only requires a urine sample. Furthermore, “unlike other conventional tests such as cytology and other biomarkers, it is a non-invasive procedure that allows spontaneous urination and is not subject to instillation side effects (inflammation, infection, hematuria… )Impact”.

According to the published data of this technology, the sensitivity of this technology is 80%, the specificity is 48%, and the accuracy of excluding the presence of tumors in the case of negative test results is close to 98%, and it is used in this diagnostic scheme.” Significantly improved accuracy in detecting high-grade bladder tumors, aiding decision-making and, in certain patients and circumstances, reducing the frequency and/or need for cystoscopy (an invasive procedure) without neglecting cystoscopy Check for the presence of an aggressive tumor,” the urologist noted.

The Urology Service of the Jiménez Díaz Foundation, in collaboration with the Pathology-Anatomy Service, played a key role in the development and implementation of this project, being the first to incorporate this therapeutic tool into its Urothelial Cancer Unit, to which physicians also belong Juan Ignacio Monzo Gardner, Elena Buendia Gonzalez and Leslie Cuelo Sanchez.

In addition, the technology will soon also be used in the four Quirón Salud hospitals integrated into the Madrid Public Network (Sermas) – whose corporate urology and pathological anatomy services are respectively directed by doctors Carmen González Nguita and Federico Rojo Everything-: Rey Juan Carlos (Móstoles), Infanta Elena (Valdemoro) and General de Villalba (Collado Villalba) University Hospitals, as well as the Jiménez Díaz Foundation – the heads of their respective urology headquarters are physicians Miguel Sanchez Encinas, Adrian Jusilos Alonso and Jose Emilio Hernandez Sanchez as well as González Nguita himself.