Cystoscopy combined with cytology is the currently recommended procedure for monitoring patients who have been diagnosed with bladder cancer and have undergone tumor removal surgery. Follow-up procedures are usually scheduled once every 3 months at the beginning and then twice a year and finally annually. A cystoscopy at each follow-up visit is burdensome for the patient, as the invasive procedure can cause discomfort and pain and must be performed in an outpatient clinic in the hospital or in the urologist’s office.
EpiCheck for the bladder is a urine test to monitor tumor recurrence in patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer in combination with cystoscopy. Based on the results of a clinical trial conducted in top medical centers in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and Israel [1], a negative result excludes high-grade tumors with 99% certainty.
The urine sample is conveniently collected at the hospital or at home.
References:
- Witjes et al. Eur Urol Oncol 2018;1(4):307-313
