Urine cytology is a test to look for the presence of abnormal cells in your urine. It is a diagnostic test that may be ordered if a doctor suspects that a patient has a cancerous growth in the urinary tract or if a patient appears to have a urinary inflammation and infection or perhaps if a patient has:
- unexplained blood in the urine
- a burning sensation during urination
- persistent pain during urination
In a urine cytology exam, a doctor looks at cells collected from a urine specimen, to see how they look and function.
How can there be cancer cells in our urine?
When people urinate, epithelial cells from inside the urinary tract are shed in the urine. In healthy individuals, there will be relatively few cells and they should all have a normal appearance. In people with urinary tract diseases, more cells will be present and some of the cells may have abnormalities. By examining the cells found in a urine sample, a lab technician can identify signs of disease.
Epithelial cells in the urine.
If this tests detects cancer growth, is it the same with biopsy?
It is important to note that this test doesn’t identify cancer, nor can it completely rule out cancer, it just monitors the growth of cancer cells. Urine cytology is better at finding larger and more aggressive cancers than small, slow growing cancers.
If bacteria or yeast are present in your urine cytology exam, you probably have a bladder or urinary tract infection. Antibiotics can usually treat these conditions.
Image Credits: nature, wisegeek, cytologystuff
