IMPROVED DETECTION OF RECURRENT BLADDER-CANCER USING THE BARD BTA STAT TEST

Objectives. To evaluate the BTA stat Test in the detection of recurren t bladder cancer. Methods. Sensitivity and specificity were determined using frozen voided urine samples from patients with recurrent bladde r cancer, volunteers, patients with nonurologic conditions, and patien ts with a history of bladder cancer but free of disease. Results of cy tology and the original BTA Test were compared with the sensitivity of the BTA stat Test in a large subgroup of the patients with cancer. Re sults. The BTA stat Test detected 147 (57%) of 220 recurrent cancers. For those urine samples with previous cytologic and BTA Test results a vailable, cytology had a sensitivity of 23%, the BTA Test 44%, and the BTA stat Test 58% for detection of recurrent cancer (P < 0.001, stat versus cytology). The specificity of the BTA stat Test was 72% for ben ign genitourinary disease and 95% in healthy volunteers. Conclusions. The BTA stat Test has high sensitivity and is significantly superior t o voided urine cytologic analysis in the detection of recurrent bladde r cancer. (C) 1997, Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.