Experts estimate that more than 250,000 men in the United States alone will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2022, accounting for nearly 30% of new cancer cases among men..

The SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology and Outcomes) database classifies prostate cancer into three staging categories: localized, regional, and distant. Localized prostate cancer is contained within the prostate and has not spread beyond the main organ. Regional prostate cancer has spread to other organs or lymph nodes near the prostate. Distant prostate cancer spreads from the prostate to distant organs such as the lungs or liver.

While the five-year survival rate for men diagnosed with distant prostate cancer is only about 30%, according to the American Cancer Society, men with localized or regional prostate cancer have a greater than 99% chance of a five-year survival rate.. The good news is that localized and regional cases account for about 90% of prostate cancer diagnoses.. These statistics confirm the focus of research on the development of methods for early detection. Increasing the number of cases detected at an early stage, when the cancer is more treatable, could significantly affect prostate cancer survival.

One approach to increase the early detection of prostate cancer is to study urine biomarkers.. A recent study published in European Urology Oncology extended this approach by examining bacterial microbes in urine.. While specific microbes isolated from prostate tissue of prostate cancer patients are different for patients with different grades of cancer, this is the first study to detect microbes in urine using a relatively simple, non-invasive urinalysis..

The scientists sought to characterize the urine microbiome of prostate cancer patients to determine whether the presence of certain bacterial strains has predictive potential.. Participants provided urine samples, which the research team analyzed for germs.. Study Demonstrates Link Between Bacteria in Urine Sediments and High-Risk Prostate Cancer. When further characterized, the study identified four new bacterial species (named Porphyromonas, Varibaculum, Peptoniphilus, and Fenollaria). Three of these bacterial strains (Peptoniphilus, Porphytomonas, and Phenollaria), along with two others (Anaerococcus and Fusobacterium), have been commonly found in the urine of patients with aggressive forms of prostate cancer.. Notably, these five strains undergo anaerobic respiration, which means they can grow without oxygen..

Although the study did not demonstrate any mechanistic links between bacteria and the development or progression of prostate cancer, it lays the groundwork for a new approach to evaluate prognostic factors in patients with prostate cancer.. Indeed, this work provided the basis for the development of further research that could significantly improve patient care and disease management in the future..

The study also shows that certain strains of anaerobic bacteria have predictive potential.. Although the testing done in this study did not lead to the definitive development of a diagnostic urinalysis method, it does provide a rationale for further investigation of the bacterial components of urine, especially in patients at high risk for prostate cancer.. The study also shows that bacteria may play a role in making some types of prostate cancer more aggressive than others..

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