VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 1 (UPI) -- Multidetector computed tomography, or MDCT, a form of computed tomography technology for diagnostic imaging, can detect bladder tumors, say U.S. researchers.
MDCT urography is a promising technique for detecting bladder tumors both with and without contrast material, helping patients avoid the invasive test of cystoscopy, according to a study by researchers at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor.
For the study, 92 patients with bladder cancers were evaluated with MDCT and the researchers were able to identify 87 of the 92 bladder tumors on MDCT.
Usually, bladder cancer is detected by cystoscopy, an uncomfortable procedure in which an instrument is inserted into the urethra to sample or see inside the bladder.
"Urologists often ask for MDCT to evaluate the ureters and kidneys for further disease," said lead author Dr. Jonathan Willatt. "In doing so, we found that we saw most of the bladder cancers identified by cystoscopy on our MDCT, so we wondered if MDCT could be used to investigate the bladder on its own. Based on our study, it looks like this is a possibility."
The findings were presented in the American Roentgen Ray Society annual meeting in Vancouver, Canada.
