The Urologic Oncology Center Offers Bladder Cancer Patients Advanced Diagnostic Procedures
University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center provides a wide range of bladder cancer diagnostic procedures. Whether patients are hoping to receive a periodic, precautionary screening or are currently experiencing bladder cancer symptoms, the comprehensive testing options we offer include:
- A medical interview: Conducted by a UH health care provider, patients are asked numerous questions related to their use of medications, work history and lifestyle.
- Physical examination: A UH health care specialist inserts a gloved finger into the patient’s vagina or rectum to examine for lumps that might indicate a tumor.
- Urinalysis: Patients provide a urine sample so it can be tested for traces of blood, protein and sugar (glucose).
- Urine cytology: A patient’s urine is examined under a microscope to reveal cells that comprise the inner bladder lining, which are regularly sloughed off into the urine. Abnormal cell findings might indicate the presence of bladder cancer.
- Cystoscopy: A narrow tube equipped with a light and a camera is inserted into the bladder to search for abnormalities such as tumors.
If bladder cancer is suspected, additional tests may be required, including:
- A computed tomography (CT) scan (similar to an X-ray)
- Pyelography: a series of X-rays of the urinary tract taken after the patient has had dye injected into a vein or into the urethra
- A biopsy: small samples of the bladder wall that are removed during cystoscopy; the samples are later examined by a UH Seidman Cancer Center pathologist
- Urine tests: may be performed to exclude conditions or to obtain specifics about urine abnormalities
If a tumor is found in the bladder, additional tests may be performed, such as an ultrasound, a chest X-ray, or a bone scan.