Urine cytology test: What does it tell my doctor?

My doctor ordered a urine cytology test for me. What is this for?

- Leah / Michigan

Answer

A urine cytology is a test used to help detect cancer of the urinary tract system, including cancer of the bladder, urethra, ureters and kidneys.

For a urine cytology test, you provide a urine sample. When you urinate, cells that line your urinary tract naturally come out in your urine. A lab technician will process the urine to retrieve any normal and, if present, abnormal cells and prepare them for analysis under a microscope. A trained pathologist will then examine the specimen to look for cancer cells.

The results of urine cytology are not 100 percent accurate — sometimes no cancer cells are seen when cancer is present (false-negative), and sometimes cells are thought to be cancerous when no cancer is present (false-positive). Even when cancer cells are detected, a cancer diagnosis must be confirmed by other diagnostic tests, such as blood tests or a biopsy. If a cancer diagnosis is made, these additional tests can also help your doctor pinpoint the cancer's location and formulate a treatment plan.

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