EVALUATION OF THE VALUE OF BTA stat TEST IN PRIMARY DIAGNOSIS OF BLADDER CANCER

A prospective study was performed in hematuria patients who were investigated for bladder cancer, to evaluate the performance of BTA stat test and IVP, the test, which is accepted to be a standard in this field. A total of 58 patients highly suspicious for bladder cancer presenting with hematuria, microscopic or gross in nature, were evaluated with IVP and BTA stat prior to cystoscopy.

Of the 58 patients, 38 had a histologically proven transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder after cystoscopy and transurethral resection. The sensitivity of IVP and BTA stat in diagnosing bladder cancer was 79% (30/38) and 81% (31/38), respectively. True negative rate for IVP and BTA stat was 90 and 65%, respectively. False positive rate for BTA stat and İVP was 35 and 10%, respectively. Of the 8 bladder cancer patients with negative IVP, 5 had a pTa or GI tumor and this ratio was 6/7 for BTA stat negative cancer patients.

This study demonstrated identical performances with both diagnostic tools in the diagnosis of bladder cancer. According to our results, the combination of IVP and BTA stat prior to cystoscopy will not provide additional advantages. In date, cystoscopy is mandatory in the diagnosis of bladder cancer regardless of the preoperative radiologic and laboratory diagnostic tests. The combination of IVP and cystoscopy achieves to an excellent sensitivity in the diagnosis of bladder cancer. In conclusion, BTA stat has no advantage in diagnostic strategy for patients presenting with hematuria and likely to undergo a cystoscopic evaluation. Then BTA stat should be reserved as a diagnostic tool for modification of follow-up protocols in superficial bladder cancer patients.