The clinical significance of class III (suspicious) urine cytology.

Background: Urine cytology, combined with cystoscopy, is the mainstay of the diagnosis and surveillance of urothelial carcinoma (UC). While classes I and II urine cytology are considered benign and classes IV and V are considered malignant the clinical significance of class III urine cytology is unclear. We evaluated the positive predictive value of class III urine cytology for concurrent and subsequent UC.

Combined morphologic and fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis of voided urine samples for the detection and follow-up of bladder cancer in patients with benign urine cytology.

Background: Bladder cancer is among the 5 most common malignancies worldwide. Patients with bladder cancer are closely followed with periodic cystoscopies and urine cytology analyses due to the significant risk of tumor recurrence. The UroVysion fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) test demonstrated higher sensitivity over urine cytology in detecting bladder cancer by most comparative studies.

Combined analysis of morphology and fluorescence in situ hybridization significantly increases accuracy of bladder cancer detection in voided urine samples.

Objectives: To evaluate a combined analysis approach that involves cytologic evaluation and fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis for detecting cancer cells in voided urine samples using an automated scanning station.

Methods: Voided urine samples from 41 patients suspected of having transitional cell carcinoma were stained with May-Grünwald Giemsa stain, scanned for atypical or suspicious cells, destained, and hybridized with a mixture of fluorescent-labeled probes. Samples were tested using either the UroVysion probe or by a mix of chromosomes 3, 7, and 17 centromeric probes.