Evaluation of importance of cystoscopy in staging gynecologic carcinomas

Of 265 patients with gynecologic carcinoma undergoing initial evaluation during a 5-year period 238 were staged prospectively with procedures that included cystoscopy. Endometrial carcinoma was noted in 98 patients, none of whom had evidence of bladder extension nor did the clinical stage of disease change after cystoscopy. Of 120 patients with carcinoma of the cervix 7 were found to have extension of tumor to the bladder. The clinical stage was elevated in 3 of these cases but remained unchanged in 4 because of the cytoscopic findings. Of all 238 patients with gynecologic carcinoma 3 (1 per cent) also were found to have unsuspected low grade transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.