Q; 52 year old male who is admitted in ICU for unrelated reason went to have cystoscopy for hematuria and found to have bladder tumor. Why it is necessary to scan ureters and renal pelvises for malignancy too? 


 Answer: If urinary bladder tumor get diagnosed, the upper tracts (pelvis and ureter) should also be scanned as they also carry transitional epithelium. This is called a field cancerization effect for urothelial tumors.



References:

1. Am J Surg Pathol 2004; 28:1545. Herr HW, Cookson MS, Soloway SM. Upper tract tumors in patients with primary bladder cancer followed for 15 years. J Urol 1996; 156:1286.