Objectives: To evaluate the nuclear matrix protein 22 (NMP22) test in the management of patients after transurethral resection (TUR) of recurrent transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.
Methods: The NMP22 test was performed in 137 patients: in 42 patients, a bladder recurrence was detected by cystoscopy and histologically confirmed; 95 patients were recurrence-free at cytology and cystoscopy performed at least 3 months after TUR.
Results: In patients with tumoral recurrence, the mean NMP22 value was 54.8 U/mL. The false-negative rate was 28.5%. In recurrence-free patients, the mean NMP22 value was 22.8 U/mL. The specificity of the NMP22 test was 61%. Higher NMP22 mean values (29.6 versus 15.8 U/mL) were found in patients who underwent intravesical chemotherapy or immunotherapy.
Conclusions: Despite its good sensitivity, the NMP22 test cannot be adopted as a routine tool in the surveillance after TUR of patients with superficial bladder cancer because of its low specificity.