NHS hospitals adopt non-invasive Galeas bladder test, a faster and more accurate alternative to cystoscopy
核心洞察
The Galeas bladder test (搜索) is a DNA-based urine test taken at home that detects bladder cancer (搜索) using the 23 genes most commonly associated with the disease.
An NHS trial of 964 patients found the test correctly identified bladder cancer (搜索) status in 92% of participants, compared with 81% accuracy for cystoscopy.
Five hospitals have adopted the test, with at least 16 more expected by year-end, and early data suggest results arrive within 16 days, exceeding the NHS 28-day standard.
NHS hospitals in England and Wales are adopting a new, non-invasive urine test for bladder cancer (搜索) that is faster, more accurate and more convenient for patients than the existing cystoscopy procedure. The Galeas bladder test (搜索), developed by biotech firm Nonacus (搜索), involves only a urine sample taken at home, rather than an invasive procedure in which a tube and camera are inserted into the bladder.
Five hospitals have already adopted the test — University Hospitals of Leicester recently became the first NHS trust in England to do so — and at least 16 others will follow suit by the end of the year. The test is currently being offered to new patients in Coventry and Leicester, along with parts of Wales, and will be available in all West Midlands hospitals by next April after it was commissioned by the West Midlands Cancer Alliance.
A non-invasive alternative to cystoscopy
Testing for bladder cancer (搜索) has traditionally been carried out by cystoscopy, which involves inserting a camera into the bladder through the penis or urethra. The discomfort involved meant quite a few patients decided not to have the procedure. "Cystoscopy is an invasive investigation to look at the inside of the bladder," said Jayne Douglas-Moore, a consultant urological surgeon at the Leicester NHS trust. "The patient is given an anaesthetic gel but otherwise remains awake. While it only takes one to two minutes it is an intimate examination and can be embarrassing or cause discomfort. It is commonly declined."
In contrast, the Galeas bladder test (搜索) is non-invasive and involves only a urine sample. It is a DNA-based test that uses the 23 genes most commonly associated with bladder cancer (搜索). Patients take the test at home and post back their sample.
Clinical accuracy and trial results
An NHS trial involving 964 patients at seven hospitals in England and Scotland in 2024-25 found that the test correctly identified whether 92% of participants had bladder cancer (搜索) or not. In contrast, cystoscopy only had an 81% accuracy rate. That was because it was difficult to identify bladder cancers of differing shapes, shades and sizes with a manually-operated keyhole camera, said Jeff Bousfield, the chief executive of Nonacus (搜索).
Altan Omer, a consultant urologist at the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust and chair of the alliance's urology expert advisory group, described the test's performance: "It has got a great accuracy. It's got a sensitivity of 92% in detecting bladder cancer (搜索) and it also has got a high accuracy at ruling out bladder cancer of 99.3%."
Faster diagnosis and reduced waiting lists
The urine test can provide a result within two weeks, while the NHS requirement is for patients to have a diagnosis within 28 days of their referral. Early data from the Leicester trust show that patients have received their results in 16 days, which exceeds the NHS 28-day faster diagnosis standard. "Of the results received so far patients have received their results in 16 days, which exceeds the NHS 28-day faster diagnosis standard [for cancer]. This is based on low numbers as we are only three weeks in but shows promise," said Douglas-Moore. Her trust's early data suggests the Galeas bladder test (搜索) may be 50% faster at diagnosing the disease than a cystoscopy.
The test could also help address significant waiting-list pressures. Figures from the West Midlands Cancer Alliance show nearly a third of patients waited more than six weeks for a cystoscopy in West Midlands hospitals in 2025, compared to just over a quarter nationally. The waiting list in Coventry was 66%.
"Currently there are about 320,000 people in the UK that have blood in their urine and that's a key risk factor for bladder cancer (搜索)," said Bousfield. "When patients come in for an invasive procedure today to see if there is cancer present, only around seven per cent of those tested have cancer. It means that in effect you have all of these people in a waiting list that are actually cancer free that are taking up space I suppose from testing those that actually do have cancer and need to be treated more quickly."
Development and clinical significance
The academic research for the test took place over a decade at the University of Birmingham and was then developed over the last two years at Nonacus (搜索), a diagnostic company in Quinton. The test was developed by Prof Richard Bryan, a urologist turned academic who runs the University of Birmingham's bladder cancer (搜索) research centre, and his colleague Dr Doug Ward.
Tony Hickson, the chief business officer at Cancer Research UK, said it co-funded initial studies into the new test "because of its potential to dramatically improve how we detect bladder cancers, making the process kinder and quicker for patients." He added: "Studies are ongoing, but using this test could replace some of the unpleasant and invasive procedures patients currently experience when getting their symptoms checked out. The test could also catch cases earlier, as it can be done when someone first visits their GP, rather than having to arrange a separate hospital appointment."
Prof Frankie Swords, NHS England's national medical director, said: "The NHS has a long history of adopting innovations to improve patient care, and this is another great example of NHS healthcare professionals taking the initiative and trialling new technologies to help to diagnose and treat cancer earlier."
Bladder cancer (搜索) is the 11th most common cancer in the UK, killing almost 6,000 people a year and affecting more than 10,000 people annually. Currently the test is for new patients with possible symptoms, but trials are ongoing in the hope of rolling it out within the next two years for patients who need ongoing monitoring after diagnosis.