The Drake Health Registry Study: findings from fifteen years of continuous bladder cancer screening.
BACKGROUND
The Drake Health Registry Study (DHRS) is an ongoing bladder cancer screening program initiated in 1986 due to workers' probable past exposure to the bladder carcinogen, beta-naphthylamine (BNA).


METHODS
At periodic screening visits, a health survey is administered and three screening tests are applied to a urine sample, urinalysis (UA), papanicolaou (PAP), and quantitative fluorescence image analysis (QFIA). Positive screens are eligible for a free bladder cystoscopy with random biopsies.


RESULTS
Forty of 51 persons eligible for diagnostic evaluation underwent cystoscopy. One person was diagnosed with carcinoma in situ, two with transitional cell papilloma, 14 with dysplasia, two of which developed transitional cell carcinoma; 26 had bladder abnormalities such as chronic inflammation, chronic cystitis, atypical changes, atypia, hyperplasia, or papillary clusters.


CONCLUSIONS
The DHRS continues to identify early stage bladder cancer and other abnormalities among workers exposed to BNA before 1981 and generates useful clinical, psycho-social, and epidemiologic data.
Marsh
Gary M
GM
Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA. gmarsh@pitt.edu
Cassidy
Laura D
LD
D015081:2-Naphthylamine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D010414:Pennsylvania; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics / Q000652:urine
D002273:Carcinogens; D015081:2-Naphthylamine