NHS trusts evaluate GALEAS Bladder to improve bladder cancer pathway

• Owing to the current standard of care, bladder cancer is one of the most expensive cancers to treat
• Results and feedback from NHS Trust evaluation of GALEAS Bladder is overwhelmingly positive
• Government support needed for NHS to adopt proven innovations to accelerate improvements across all disease pathways.

The Government’s elective reform plan for the NHS, as set out by the Prime Minister on Monday, includes a series of changes designed to improve waiting times and patient experiences. While the investment and support are welcome, further reform is needed to enable the NHS to easily adopt proven technologies that promise significant financial and patient benefits.

The current standard of care for detecting bladder cancer is a cystoscopy, an invasive and expensive procedure performed at hospitals by skilled clinicians. Bladder cancer is identified in less than 20% of the diagnostic cystoscopies performed every year in the UK, making it one of the most expensive cancers to manage and treat.

A number of forward-thinking NHS Trusts are conducting a service evaluation of GALEAS Bladder, a simple urine test that delivers results equivalent to a cystoscopy across all stages and grades of bladder cancer. Co-developed by Professor Rik Bryan and Dr Doug Ward at the University of Birmingham, and funded by Cancer Research UK, GALEAS Bladder is a genetic bladder cancer test that analyses urine samples collected by patients either at home or at a clinic. 

Professor Rik Bryan, Director of the Bladder Cancer Research Centre at University of Birmingham, comments: “Blood visible in the urine should always be investigated, although only around 20% of those tested require follow-up investigations and treatment. That leaves 80% of patients undergoing an unnecessary inspection of the bladder which is an uncomfortable, expensive and time-consuming procedure.

“Enabling the NHS to offer patients a simple urine test instead, which can be conducted from the comfort of their own home, will improve patient care by reducing waiting lists and will enable clinical teams to focus on the 20% of patients who need urgent investigation and treatment.”

NHS trusts began evaluating GALEAS Bladder in April 2024 and the results and feedback have been overwhelmingly positive. 

Ashwin Sridhar, Consultant Urologist at the University College of London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The GALEAS Bladder test represents a major advancement in bladder cancer diagnosis, offering a highly sensitive, non-invasive, and patient-friendly alternative to traditional diagnostic methods. Its ability to accurately detect and monitor bladder cancer through simple urine samples could significantly improve patient outcomes and optimise healthcare resources.

NHS Trusts are now working to adopt GALEAS Bladder into clinical pathways during 2025. The test is also being offered throughout the UK’s private hospital network and is reimbursed by BUPA. 

Jeff Bousfield, CEO of Nonacus, said: “With 80% of bladder cancer patients surviving 5+ years if diagnosed at stage 1, compared to 10% survival rates if diagnosed at stage 4, waiting times for bladder cancer testing is critical. GALEAS Bladder can help to quickly deliver results, reduce waiting lists, save time and money while vastly improving the patient experience. There needs to be a simpler and faster way for the NHS to adopt technologies that could have a hugely positive impact on the NHS – with little or no further investment and in a very short amount of time.”