Rapid urine test for early stage bladder cancer - results in a single patient visit

Through the acquisition of Matritech Inc., Inverness Medical now offers the NMP22^® BladderChek^® Test and NMP22^® Test Kit for the rapid diagnosis and monitoring of early stage bladder cancer. More commonly seen in men than women at a ratio of 3:1 ¹, bladder cancer is commonly linked to smoking and exposure to industrial chemicals, with approximately 356,600 new cases of bladder cancer reported worldwide each year¹.

Simple to use, the rapid BladderChek Test can be performed outside of the laboratory with reliable results available during a single patient visit in just 30 minutes. Requiring only four drops of urine, the test is unaffected by the presence of blood in the sample which is commonly seen as one of the first symptoms of bladder cancer. The painless and non-invasive assay makes the NMP22 BladderChek Test and NMP22 Test Kit ideal for initial assessment as well as for monitoring before a cystoscopy is performed.

Both the rapid format and the ELISA test from Inverness Medical detect for elevated amounts of Nuclear Matrix protein (NMP22) in urine samples. Elevated amounts of NMP22 are present in the urine of most individuals with bladder cancer and are detectable even at early stages of the disease, making it an ideal marker for early diagnosis.

Bladder cancer has the highest rate of recurrence at 50-90% depending on the initial aggressiveness of the tumour. The NMP22 BladderChek Test and NMP22 Test Kit provide clinicians with the tools for an effective at risk-group screening and monitoring program in addition to cystoscopy procedures. This allows for rapid, accurate and cost effective detection of bladder cancer.

^1. IARC. GLOBOCAN 2002. Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide (2002 estimates).