Could a simple blood test replace the biopsy for prostate cancer?
NCT ID NCT07144228
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Aug 07, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study is testing a new blood test called HeLP™ that looks at proteins in platelets to diagnose prostate cancer. Researchers want to see if it can be a safe and accurate alternative to current tests like PSA, MRI, and biopsy. The study will enroll 300 men suspected of having prostate cancer and compare the test results with standard methods.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- HeLP™ blood test (platelet proteomic assay)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could provide a simpler, less invasive way to diagnose prostate cancer and assess its severity, potentially reducing the need for biopsies.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage validation study with 300 participants. The test may not prove accurate enough to replace current methods, and results may not apply to all populations.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 300 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2026
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
All subjects meeting eligibility criteria will be offered participation in this research study. The study is not relevant to women. The terminally ill subjects, students, children or volunteers-will not be included.
- Ages
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40 years and older
- Sex
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Male participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Eligibility criteria * Patients ≥ 40 years of age * All patients with suspicion of PCa Men ≥ 40 years of age attending Duke Health/Urology with suspicion of prostate cancer (Primary disease) will be approached to consent for the study. Upon consent, samples will be obtained alone, during repeat PSA/other biomarkers testing, or during imaging at Duke Lab. Exclusion criteria * Men who have previously undergone treatment for prostate cancer. * Men with prior diagnosis of prostate cancer. * Men with severe, irreversible coagulopathy. * Men on anticoagulant therapies or those who have taken antiplatelet agents such as aspirin, NSAIDs (ibuprofen, entrophen, naproxen, diclofenac etc), clopidrogel, prasugrel, ticagrelor, or dipyridamole in the 7 days preceding blood collection.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Duke University
RECRUITINGDurham, North Carolina, 27710, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Advanced diffusion magnetic reSonance prostate imaging for reducing extraneous biopsies (ASPIRE) - calibration component (Multi-centre scanner calibration) and validation component (Multi-centre validation)
- A sharper eye on prostate cancer return: PSMA PET vs. MRI
- AI may help spot dangerous prostate cancer and spare men from needless biopsies
- Blood test may spot prostate cancer without a needle
- AI reads scans to spot prostate cancer, spare unnecessary biopsies
- Extra numbing shot may ease pain of prostate biopsy