Kaiser Permanente Southern California researchers found that the presence of microscopic hematuria does not necessarily indicate the presence of cancer. This study suggests that invasive tests routinely done on patients such as CT scans, renal ultrasounds, and systoscopy could be avoided thereby limiting the risk of radiation exposure and urinary tract infections. These findings have led to the creation of a screening tool called the Hematuria Risk Index to better predict cancer risk and diagnose certain types of cancers which could lead to significant reductions in the number of unnecessary patient evaluations.
