Transabdominal ultrasound surveillance for bladder cancer.

Transabdominal ultrasound may have a limited but useful role in the surveillance of bladder cancer. Its advantages over other diagnostic methods are that it is easy to use and that it can be repeated as many times as necessary without harm or discomfort to the patient. As such, it is an extension of the physical examination by the clinician, who should, if politics allow, take up its use more frequently. Only by using it routinely and understanding its limitations can urologists hope to use ultrasound as a safe and helpful aid to diagnosis.