First in the United States to Offer New Testicular Cancer Blood Test

Bagrodia’s lab at Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health. Photo credit: Leslie Aquinde, UC San Diego Health

“This breakthrough represents the kind of investment in innovation that can save lives while improving quality of life for cancer survivors,” said Diane Simeone, MD, director of Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health. “We regularly receive inquiries from patients all over the world and are thrilled we can now offer this advanced tool to help optimize outcomes for patients with testicular cancer.”

Testicular cancer affects approximately 10,000 people annually, primarily young men between ages 18 and 45. While most patients can go into remission through chemotherapy or surgery, about 500 patients die each year. 

The test, which measures the biomarker microRNA-371a-3P, predicts the presence of testicular cancer cells with 90% accuracy. It is currently available to UC San Diego Health patients diagnosed with testicular cancer and will be expanding to accept external samples from other medical centers worldwide later this year. The test is College of American Pathologists (CAP) and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified, indicating the highest levels of accuracy and reliability.