A researcher team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggested that a simple urine test for kidney cancer is on the way.

The team, that is researching kidney cancer patients, claims to have discovered a pair of proteins excreted in the urine that could assist in an accurate and early diagnosis of the disease.

They claim that the protein can point to the presence of nearly 90 percent of all kidney cancers. Presently there is no diagnostic test available for kidney cancer.

Diagnoses for nearly 80 percent of kidney tumors have been deduced either from CT scans or ultrasound tests that were originally recommended for abdominal pain.

Kharasch and co-investigator Jeremiah J. Morrissey, PhD, analyzed the urine samples accumulated from 42 patients who became aware that they had kidney cancer during an abdominal imaging test and from 15 individuals who did not have cancer, however, were to undergo surgery.

In addition, a further 19 healthy volunteers were involved who were not having surgery of any kind.

The findings of the research were published online in the May issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.