Molecular Biology and the Early Detection of Carcinoma of the Bladder -- The Case of Hubert H. Humphrey

Abstract

Approximately 52,300 new cases of carcinoma of the bladder were diagnosed in the United States in 1993¹. These carcinomas struck primarily older men, who often presented with hematuria or increased frequency of urination. Patients whose cancers are detected in an early, localized stage have a 90 percent chance of surviving at least five years. If the cancer is detected after distant spread of the disease, however, the five-year survival rate drops to 9 percent¹. Clearly, techniques for the early detection of carcinoma of the bladder can have a major impact on the outcome of the disease².