Initial evaluation of the bladder tumor antigen test in superficial bladder cancer

Purpose: We analyzed the value of the Bard bladder tumor antigen (BTA*) test for the diagnosis of stage Ta superficial bladder cancer and carcinoma in situ, and compared it to the highly sensitive bladder washing cytology. Materials and Methods: The BTA test is a latex agglutination test that qualitatively detects the presence of basement membrane complexes in the urine. A total of 60 patients with superficial bladder cancer underwent voided urine BTA analysis and bladder washing cytologies. Results: Of the patients 65% were correctly diagnosed with the BTA test compared to 32% with bladder washings, which is statistically significant (p <0.001). Conclusions: The BTA test is a noninvasive diagnostic tool that is superior to bladder washing cytology for diagnosing superficial bladder cancer.