Further observations on the specific red cell adherence test: effects of radiation therapy.

To assess the effects of radiation therapy on the specific red cell adherence test we have evaluated 33 patients who underwent cystectomy for bladder cancer and in whom radiotherapy had been used. With this test negative tumors were found in 32 of the 33 cases. In a second series of 10 patients histologic examinations were done by biopsy before radiotherapy and by subsequent microscopic examination of the cystectomy specimen. The specific red cell adherence test results remained constant in all of these cases. These findings strongly suggest that 1) the specific red cell adherence test does remain negative after radiotherapy and 2) this test is a valuable prognosticator of the future likelihood of invasion in all patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.