role of multiple mucosal biopsies in the evaluation of bladder cancer

ABSTRACT

A prospective study was conducted on 50 patients with superficial transitional cell carcinoma of urinary bladder to determine the incidence of atypia and carcinoma in situ in selected site biopsies from apparently non-tumour bearing bladder mucosa. 48% of the biopsies from cystoscopically normal mucosa revealed histological abnormalities including 20% atypia and 28% carcinoma of the urinary bladder. It is recommended that every patient with a neoplastic lesion of the bladder should have the benefit of multiple biopsies in order to ascertain the status of the bladder epithelium outside the area of visible tumour. It shall help in contemplating aggressive therapeutic measures in patients with diffuse and marked peripheral urothelial abnormalities