Non-Invasive Test for Prostate Cancer

A semen-based kit for the diagnosis of prostate cancer is based on the presence of a proprietary human carcinoma antigen (HCA) in semen. The non-invasive test, once developed, will reduce the number of invasive examinations and needle biopsies.

The current blood test for prostate cancer measures levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). This test has a high false-positive rate (up to 75%) because it picks up many benign conditions that cause raised PSA levels in the blood, such as enlargement of the prostate or a prostate infection. This results in many men undergoing unnecessary biopsies.

HCA in the blood can signal the presence of cancer, but it does not specify where the cancer exists as HCA is produced by other tumors such as breast, lung and colon cancers. Because the prostate's function is to secrete fluid into semen, HCA is found in much larger concentrations in semen produced by cancerous prostates and is therefore expected to be a highly specific marker for prostate cancer

The HCA-based test is being co-developed by Proteome Systems (PXL, Sydney, Australia) and Egenix (Millbrook, NY, USA). Initial data testing HCA in serum as a marker of prostate cancer was presented at an American Urology Association meeting. In a cohort of 84 patients (nine with confirmed cancers and 75 non-cancers) the sensitivity of the semen test was 100 % (no cancers missed) and the false-positive rate was only 17%.
PXL and Egenix will initially work together to optimize the detection of HCA in semen of prostate cancer patients. This initial project will be fully funded by Egenix. The two companies will then share the rights for further development and commercialization of the test. The parties envisage that this test would have significant implications for the prostate cancer diagnostic market.



Related Links:
Proteome Systems
Egenix