Evaluation of bladder washing cytology for bladder cancer surveillance.

Urinary cytology is almost as accurate as cystoscopy in appraising the presence or absence of visible tumor. Falsely negative results are virtually limited to low stage, low grade tumors. Urinary cytology often provides information about the neoplastic state of the epithelium not provided by cystoscopic examination. Cytology has become practical and simple to do even as an office procedure. Urinary cytology must be considered an essential part of patient management in bladder cancer surveillance.