'Game-changing' urine tests could detect breast cancer, endometriosis and PCOS

"We've found very important changes in urine to tell you've got breast cancer, and even [which] stage of breast cancer. We're building little kits that are based on urine that actually allow you to go to your GP and have it done, or even do it at home."

"Key changes can be identified in a urine sample to detect breast cancer with a high degree of accuracy and new at-home tests are being made to complement existing diagnostic tools. Researchers are now using the same approach to detect endometriosis and PCOS, where diagnoses are very poor and also very delayed."

"We need to have 90% accuracy or greater, at the moment we've got it, but we need to make sure we get that with the kit itself. It could take 18 months to develop the lateral flow prototypes, then between three to five years to further test them for accuracy."

Researchers at Aberystwyth University are developing lateral flow urine tests to detect breast cancer at early stages and diagnose endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome. The tests can identify key changes in urine samples with high accuracy and determine cancer stage. Prototype kits are expected within 18 months, with full testing requiring three to five years to achieve 90% accuracy standards. These tests aim to complement existing diagnostic tools and can be performed at home or in GP surgeries. The Welsh government has invested £75 million in women's health research, including these projects. Clinical leaders emphasize the importance of translating research findings into practice quickly, as evidence typically takes 17 years to reach clinical application.

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