Purpose: We compared the sensitivity of the BTA statdagger test, a rapid, noninvasive, qualitative urine test that detects bladder tumor associated antigen (human complement factor H related protein) in urine, to that of voided urine cytology in patients with primary bladder cancer. We also assessed the effect of tumor size, number, histological grade and stage on test sensitivity.
Materials and methods: We evaluated 151 patients with newly diagnosed bladder cancer in a prospective multicenter study. A voided urine sample obtained before transurethral bladder tumor resection was divided for culture, cytology and BTA stat testing.
Results: Overall sensitivity of the BTA stat test and urine cytology for detecting primary bladder cancer was 81.5% and 30.3%, respectively (p <0.0001). The sensitivity of each test increased as tumor size, number, histological grade and stage increased.
Conclusions: Sensitivity of the BTA stat test was superior to that of voided urine cytology in all tumor categories. This noninvasive, easy to perform, point of care test may have the potential to replace cytology for diagnosing bladder cancer.