HARD-EARNED TRUST

The Tiger Test and Prostate Urine Risk (PUR) test will be presented to the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS), the national body responsible for managing which treatments can be licensed by the NHS and other health providers.

“It’s how we prove our integrity, impartiality and competence,” said Paul Jackson, Quality Assurance Manager at Norwich Medical School. “From management to the technical side, including the analysis and distribution of results. The idea is that you could give any technicians our procedures and they would be able to perform the same analysis and get the same results.”

The University’s diagnostics lab will need to analyse hundreds of samples for complex genetic data, produce exacting Standard Operating Procedures and train staff to perform tests the same way every time.

“The accreditation process is comprehensive,” continued Paul.” To take our tests forward into the real world, it is crucial for us to demonstrate that our instruments are in optimal working order to analyse samples and report results. It costs thousands of pounds per year to assess each piece of equipment. And that’s before we’ve even analysed anything. Ensuring our equipment is running smoothly fulfils accreditation requirements while also making better use of our funding by minimising breakdown time, increasing working hours and avoiding repair costs.

“Our philanthropists have made it all possible. They fund the whole package – technicians, scientific instruments, consumables, our UKAS application. Without them, nothing happens. It really doesn’t. I cannot stress enough how important that support is.

“I also want to thank our supporters for the real-world impact these tests could have locally and worldwide. You will help us revolutionise how we diagnose prostate cancer and give patients a better understanding of what treatments they need. Thank you.”

Prostate Cancer Research At Uea

Professor Colin Cooper and other prostate cancer researchers across UEA have continued to make impressive research gains over the past 12 months.

Prof Dan Brewer led a study that, for the first time, found prostate cancer treatments may be more effective if they target the whole prostate rather than the tumours only. The team analysed 121 tissue samples and discovered that ‘normal’ prostate cells in men with prostate cancer contain more changes in the DNA than those without cancer. The study has been published in Molecular Cancer in a paper by Profs Brewer and Cooper, and their colleagues.

Dr Rachel Hurst, UEA’s Alan Boswell Fellow, published a paper in European Urology Oncology identifying five types of bacteria common in urine and tissue samples from people with aggressive prostate cancer. Dr Hurst’s research will now turn to how and why these bacteria occur. Her findings could lead to new treatment options.

Prof Cooper said, “The work of UEA’s prostate cancer team is only possible because of donations. We can’t thank our philanthropic community enough.”