Urine tests are used to help diagnose many different conditions, including cancer. Urinalysis is a physical, chemical and microscopic examination of urine using a battery of tests. The primary urine test related to cancer is urine cytology, which primarily looks for cancer and inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract. Other urine tests may be used to search for blood in the urine (hematuria), which can indicate the presence of cancer or less serious conditions, such as an infection. 

Urine testing also may be used to detect tumor markers in individuals. Tumor markers are substances released in the urine, blood or tissue in response to cancer cells. Research is examining which cancers can be detected and monitored by tumor markers found in urine.

Patients can collect a sample of urine either at home or in a physician’s office. The procedure for obtaining a sample is easy and painless. The sample is then sent to a laboratory for analysis by a pathologist, who will look for abnormal cells that may indicate the presence of an abnormal condition or disease. In some physician offices and facilities, simple urinalysis can be completed on site.

Though urine tests can suggest or indicate the presence of cancer, the condition must be confirmed by additional tests, such as a biopsy or a blood test. If cancer is confirmed, the patient may receive one or more of many different types of treatment, including:

• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation therapy
• Hormone therapy
• Biological therapy