According to research published by UCLA researchers, the quality of diagnostics staging using biopsy for bladder cancer patients is now directly related to the survival of those patients. This means that patients need quality care from the earliest moments of diagnosis, as those who do not have the ideal biopsies are more likely to die due to bladder cancer.
The UCLA study spanned a period of two years. Researchers studied patients diagnosed with “non-invasive” cancers in medical centers throughout Los Angeles. During that time, half of the bladder cancer patients who had biopsies had insufficient biopsies that did not retrieve any of the bladder wall muscle tissues. This lead to a failure to accurately stage the cancer. The UCLA research team then found that these poor biopsies and incorrect tumor staging were linked to a higher death rate compared to those who had accurate biopsies.
Unfortunately, bladder biopsies often take tissue only from the inner lining of
the bladder. The problem with this is that sometimes the cancer invades the muscle wall. If this has occurred, the only way to diagnose it is by taking a biopsy some of the muscle wall as well. Without the muscle wall tissues, the biopsies cannot say accurately whether the cancer has begun to spread or not, leading to inaccurate staging and choosing the wrong treatment choice.
The study findings were published on October 20, 2014 in the online edition of Cancer.
In light of these findings, patients should be able to ask more detailed questions about the staging of their cancers and the quality of their biopsies. Patients, and their doctors, should push for more optimal biopsies prior to choosing treatments in order to improve the chance of survival.
Studies like these help doctors make more informed decisions about how to best care for their patients. The urology field is always changing, and medical professionals must learn how to adjust with these changes. To learn more visit Dr. Vorstman at https://urologyweb.com/exclusive-medical-reports/
Dr. Vorstman also blogs at https://urologyweb.com/uro-health-blog/ Contact him directly at bvorstmanmd@gmail.com