Summary
Introduction:
This text summarizes the findings of two studies on the use of the Bladder EpiCheck test for the diagnosis and monitoring of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). The test assesses the DNa methylation status of 15 genomic biomarkers in urine to detect bladder cancer. The studies compare the performance of Bladder EpiCheck to other diagnostic techniques, such as photodynamic diagnosis (PDD)-guided cystoscopy and urinary cytology.
Key points:
* The first study, conducted by Cochetti et al., is a single-center, prospective, blinded clinical trial involving 40 patients under surveillance for high-risk NMIBC.
* The study found that Bladder EpiCheck had an area under the curve (aUC) of 0.95, with 100% sensitivity and 90.9% specificity.
* PDD-guided cystoscopy had an aUC of 0.51, with 61% sensitivity and 41% specificity.
* Urinary cytology had an aUC of 0.94, with 88.9% sensitivity and 100% specificity.
* When combined with urinary cytology, Bladder EpiCheck achieved an aUC of 0.99.
* The second study, conducted by Pierconti et al., is a single-center, prospective, phase II trial involving 205 patients with high-grade NMIBC following initial intravesical treatment with BCG or mitomycin C.
* The study found that Bladder EpiCheck had an overall sensitivity of 94.3% and specificity of 79.6% in detecting recurrence.
Main message:
The findings of these two studies suggest that Bladder EpiCheck has promising potential as a diagnostic and monitoring tool for NMIBC. Its high sensitivity and specificity make it a potential alternative to cystoscopy, which is currently the gold standard for NMIBC diagnosis and monitoring. The test may also reduce the need for cystoscopies during the follow-up period when combined with urinary cytology. however, further evaluation of the Bladder EpiCheck test is warranted, particularly in larger and more diverse patient populations.
Citation
Masone MC. E-cigarettes and erectile dysfunction. Nature reviews Urology. 2022;19(2):67. doi:10.1038/s41585-022-00567-4
