A man originally from this province is hoping to bring a test that improves the accuracy of detecting prostate cancer, to Newfoundland and Labrador.

Dr. Desmond Pink is the Chief Scientific Officer of Alberta-based company Nanostics. The group has developed the ‘ClarityDX prostate test’, which is a non-invasive blood test, meant to accurately predict clinically significant (aggressive) prostate cancer after an abnormal PSA and/or digital rectal exam.

The goal is to reduce the number of unnecessary prostate biopsies, says Dr. Pink, that can often have negative side effects. He says an estimated 35 per cent of unnecessary prostate biopsies could be avoided by using this test.

Right now the blood test is available as a private pay test, but the company is hoping to change that. It is currently available in Alberta, but the group says their goal is to make this product more widely available in Canada.