Spit Test Shows Promise in Detecting Prostate Cancer Better Than Blood Tests

Rapid Summary

• A study published in April 2025 in the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrated a new saliva-based diagnostic test for prostate cancer, known as the Polygenic Risk score (PRS) test.
• the PRS spit test more accurately predicts prostate cancer risk compared to conventional Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood tests, which frequently enough produce unreliable results and false positives.
• Researchers analyzed saliva samples from 6,142 European men aged 55-69 to extract germline DNA and calculate their PRS score based on genetic variants linked to prostate cancer risk.
• Those with high PRS results (90th percentile or above) underwent further screenings like MRI scans and biopsies; 40% of these individuals were diagnosed with prostate cancer.
• PSA tests have limitations, including a high rate of false positives (three out of four times), which frequently enough lead to unnecessary treatments or missed detection of notable cases. Factors like age, alcohol intake, and urinary tract infections can affect PSA accuracy.
• The research team is expanding testing capabilities for populations such as Asians and Africans while comparing results across different diagnostic methods like MRI scans, spit tests, and PSA-based approaches.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The development of saliva-based diagnostic technology represents a potential paradigm shift in handling diseases like prostate cancer by enabling earlier detection with better accuracy than traditional PSA blood tests. For India-a nation grappling with rising healthcare demands amidst rapid population aging-this advancement could significantly reduce costs associated with misdiagnoses or unnecessary treatments related to undependable screening methods. However, ongoing adaptation for diverse populations is crucial since genetic variations differ across ethnic groups; future iterations that cater specifically to south Asian demographics would be vital improvements.India has an chance here not just in facilitating accessible home-testing kits but also supporting global research through participation or replication studies tailored for its citizens’ genetic dispositions. A proactive strategy focusing on early-stage identification aligns well with India’s public health approach toward reducing the burden from noncommunicable diseases over time.

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