Cancer of the ureter

Diagnosis

Early, accurate diagnosis of cancer of the ureter is essential for effective treatment. Your doctor will first perform a physical exam, and then use other tests to screen for and diagnose cancer of the ureter. These may include:

• Urine tests. Urinalysis checks for the color and contents of urine. Urine cytology checks for abnormal cells.
• Computerized tomography urogram (CTU). An intravenous pyelogram (IVP) uses CT to create a 3-D image of the lower urinary tract.
• Ureteroscopy. A ureteroscope is a specialized, miniature telescope that is carefully guided through the ureter, allowing your doctor to visually inspect the ureter wall. Through the ureteroscope, the doctor can remove a small tissue sample for lab analysis (biopsy).
• Additional tests. For people who can't have a CTU for various reasons, magnetic resonance urography (MRU) may be used as an alternative imaging technique. Infrequently, your doctor may use a test called fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to check for chromosomal abnormalities.