Nanoengineering Aids Bladder Cancer Detection

Australian innovators are working towards the next generation of bladder cancer diagnostics: a completely non-invasive “lab on a chip” device. These urgently needed clinical tools could make invasive cystoscopies (the current gold standard bladder cancer diagnostic that involves the insertion of a catheter) a thing of the past. Instead, the device would be able to sense the presence of cancer cells with a urine sample.

Bladder cancer survivors undergo up to four invasive cystoscopy examinations per year, which are expensive, require hospitalization and can lead to complications such as sepsis and bleeding, says project lead Krasi Vasilev from the University of South Australia.

“Our technology offers patients a much safer, quicker and reliable detection — without additional discomfort, pain and risk of complication,” adds Vasilev, a biomedical engineer who specializes in nanoengineered surfaces for clinical applications.

Bladder cancer represents one of the most common cancers in the United States, which begins as cells lining the inner surface of the organ begin to grow abnormally. Factors such as smoking, chemical exposure, chronic irritation and parasitic infections can contribute to the development of the disease. Bladder cancer is highly treatable, but it has to be diagnosed early and monitored closely…