Cystoscopy suffices for bladder cancer

HOUSTON, March 4 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers suggest cystoscopy alone suffices as a test for recurrent bladder cancer.

Researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston evaluated the accuracy and cost of cystoscopy alone and cystoscopy combined with two urine tests for cellular abnormalities -- cytology and fluorescence in situ hybridization.

The researchers found the added tests did turn positive prior to actual tumor recurrence in a handful of patients, but the vast majority were still false positives.

"Our research potentially will enable clinicians to make judicious use of the available ancillary 'urinary markers,' which would translate into costs savings plus less anxiety for bladder cancer patients," senior author Dr. Ashish Kamat said in a statement. "Our findings also may help reduce the cost of caring for bladder cancer patients, which currently in is the range of $4 billion annually."

Patients are tested every three to six months -- often for the rest of their lives -- because of the high recurrence rate for early-stage bladder cancer.

Cystoscopy -- an outpatient procedure -- allows doctors to visually examine the bladder with a camera inserted through the urethra into the bladder.

The study was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancer Symposium held in San Francisco.