Incidental urinary tract pathologies in the one-stop prostate cancer clinic

We determined the prevalence of incidental urinary tract pathologies in patients referred to the one-stop suspected prostate cancer clinic and assessed the evaluation and outcome of these pathologies.

One hundred and ninety patients were referred to the one-stop suspected prostate cancer clinic over a 6-month period. The records of patients with incidental urinary tract pathologies were retrospectively reviewed for demographic characteristics, mode of clinical presentation, further investigations performed, the final diagnosis and the treatment given.

Incidental urinary tract pathologies were detected in 12 patients (6.3%). Clinically significant pathologies were found in 4.7% patients (n = 9). Significant incidental findings included bladder cancers (n = 8) and renal cell carcinoma (n = 1). All of these patients had additional diagnostic investigations, required in-patient surgical treatment and have remained disease free at follow up. Trans-rectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsies were only performed in three cases and a diagnosis of prostate cancer was only made in one patient.

Incidental urinary tract pathologies among patients referred to the one-stop suspected prostate cancer clinic are common. This reflects the need for further investigating patients with lower urinary tract symptoms whenever necessary so avoid missing significant pathologies.