Bladder Cancer Detection Tools

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To plan your bladder cancer treatment, your CTCA care team may use any number of the following diagnostic tests, tools and procedures:

Physical exam - Your doctor may conduct a physical exam and ask about your health history and your family’s health history. During the exam, your doctor will feel your abdomen and pelvis and may also conduct a rectal or vaginal exam.
Urine tests – Your doctor may order a urinalysis to check for cancerous cells or blood in the urine.
Intravenous pyelogram – During this procedure, your doctor will inject dye into a blood vessel. This will make the bladder, kidneys, and ureters visible on x-rays.
Cystoscopy – During this procedure, your doctor will insert a lighted tube through the urethra to examine the bladder while you are under general anesthesia. The doctor will also likely take a biopsy or tissue sample during this time to check for cancerous cells. Another test, referred to as a urine cytology test, may accompany the procedure. Similar to a urine culture, urine washed from the bladder during the cystoscopy is sent to the lab for examination.
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) – This imaging technology uses radiofrequency waves to create detailed cross-sectional images of the body.
Ultrasound – This technology uses sound waves to produce echoes of your internal organs and tissues. The echoes that tumors produce are different than those of healthy tissues.
CT scan (computerized tomography) – This scan uses many X-ray images to show detailed images of soft tissue organs so that your doctor can assess how to best serve your needs.