Health

At-home urine test accurately identifies bladder cancer in hospital trial

A study across seven UK hospitals found the Galeas test detected 92% of cases, potentially reducing the need for invasive hospital procedures.

Updated Sep 2, 2026 · 02:18 UTC1 reports

The short version

A study published in European Urology Oncology found that a new at-home urine test detected 92% of bladder cancer cases.
The Galeas test, evaluated in nearly 1,000 patients across England and Scotland, demonstrated a greater than 99% accuracy when ruling out the disease.
Researchers anticipate the tool could help triage hospital waiting lists and spare thousands from undergoing invasive cystoscopy exams.
Further research through a larger clinical trial will be necessary before the test can be widely adopted across health services.

The Galeas urine test correctly identified 92% of bladder cancer cases in a study of nearly 1,000 patients across seven hospitals in England and Scotland.[BBC News]
A negative result on the test indicated a greater than 99% likelihood that the patient did not have bladder cancer.[BBC News]
The test detects bladder cancer by screening for over 450 DNA mutations across 23 genes present in shed genetic material in urine.[BBC News]
The test was developed by the University of Birmingham with Cancer Research UK funding and commercialised by the diagnostics company Nonacus.[BBC News]
More than 300,000 invasive cystoscopies are conducted annually in the UK, and researchers suggest this test could help prioritize high-risk patients rather than fully replacing endoscopies.[BBC News]

Whether the test will be widely adopted across healthcare systems depends on the results of an upcoming, larger clinical trial.[BBC News]