BLADDER CANCER

Diagnosis

If a patient shows symptoms that suggest bladder cancer, the doctor may check general signs of health and may then order lab tests and one or more of the following procedures:

Physical exam: The doctor feels the abdomen and pelvis for tumors. The physical exam may include a rectal or vaginal exam.

Urine tests: The laboratory checks the urine for blood, cancer cells and other signs of disease.

Cytoscopy: The doctor inserts a thin, lighted tube, called a cystoscope (a tube with a small camera on the end), through the urethra and into the bladder to examine the lining. The patient usually does not need anesthesia for this procedure.

Intravenous pyelogram (IVP): An iodine-based contrast dye is injected into a vein and then a series of x-ray type images are taken at timed intervals. As the kidneys are responsible for removing contrast dye from the blood, it then collects in the urine in the bladder and shows up on the x-ray. This test is designed to study the kidneys, bladder, and ureters (the tubes which carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder). Abnormalities in the appearance of the kidneys or ureters, abnormalities in the distribution of contrast within a kidney, unequal amounts of dye in each kidney, or abnormalities in the collecting systems can be identified. These all suggest particular diseases and conditions.