A new spit test for prostate cancer has saved the lives of two brothers by detecting tumours that traditional methods missed. The innovative test uses a man's genes to assess the likelihood of disease.
For 71-year-old Dheeresh Turnbull, the test revealed a life-threatening tumour despite traditional methods suggesting he had a low risk of prostate cancer. He was then referred to a leading cancer specialist hospital, The Royal Marsden.
Dheeresh's brother Joel also discovered an aggressive prostate tumour after taking part in the same study.
Experts believe this new approach could "turn the tide on prostate cancer" after they found the test could identify men at a higher genetic risk of the disease.
The brothers said the test 'saved' their lives
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Dheeresh joined the Barcode One study four years ago to assess the new spit test.
He said: "Once I agreed to [do] the trial, I underwent some tests. When my results came back, I was sent a letter to say I was in the top genetic risk category, and I was referred to The Royal Marsden.
"Further tests revealed that I had prostate cancer, and I was told that a relatively low Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) score can still be harbouring a life-threatening tumour if the person falls in a certain genetic group.
"I have no family history of prostate cancer, so I was completely shocked. I would never have been diagnosed at this stage if I hadn't joined the trial. Because the saliva test revealed that I had a high genetic risk of developing the disease, my younger brother, who would have been too young to join the study directly, signed up."
Joel subsequently discovered he also had an aggressive tumour in his prostate.
The test uses the saliva of a man's spit to detect and analyse their DNA to work out who was born with the greatest risk of developing prostate cancer.
It looks for 130 distinct mutations in men’s genetic code that can heighten the chance of prostate cancer forming.
It also detected cases that would have been missed by the PSA test alone. Notably, the new method identified a higher proportion of aggressive cancers than the PSA test.
The test also proved effective at finding prostate cancer in men who had negative MRI scan results.
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The test uses a man's genes to determine the likelihood of cancer
GETTYDheeresh said: "It's incredible to think that because of this study, two lives have now been saved in my family."
In another incredible medical breakthrough, a "miracle" baby girl became the first child in the UK to be born to a mother using a donated womb.
Grace Davidson, 36, who was born without a functioning uterus, received her sister's womb in 2023.
Two years after a pioneering operation, Grace gave birth to her first child.
