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Treatment for Bladder Cancer



Treatment for bladder cancer will depend on a number of factors, including the type and stage of bladder cancer, overall health and treatment preferences. Discuss the choices with your physician and choose the one best suited to you.

Some of the treatments for bladder cancer are:

• Surgical Procedures: The type of surgery will also depend upon the stage of bladder cancer and your overall health.

 If the tumor is small and has not spread to the wall of the bladder, your physician may recommend surgery to remove the tumor. Transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) is often used in these cases and it may cause painful or bloody urination for a few days after the surgery.

Segmental cystectomy or partial cystectomy involves removal of the cancerous part of the bladder. This option is usually exercised only if the cancer is confined to one part of the bladder and bladder function won’t be affected. This procedure carries the risk of infection and bleeding. The reduced size of the bladder means frequent urination though this may improve with time.

Surgery for bladder cancer that has spread to deeper layers of the bladder involves the removal of the entire bladder as well as the surrounding lymph nodes. In men, it also involves the removal of the prostate and the seminal vesicles. In women it involves the removal of the uterus, ovaries and part of the vagina.

After radical cystectomy, surgery is required to create a new pathway for expelling urine from the body. Several options are available, depending on the type of cancer, overall health and personal preferences.

• Immunotherapy: This is also known as biological therapy. Drugs are used to stimulate the immune system to help fight the cancer cells. The drugs are administered through the urethra and into the bladder. Some of the drugs used are:

1. Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) - a bacterium used in tuberculosis vaccines, it can stimulate the immune system but can also cause irritation and blood in the urine.
2. Interferon – is a protein made by the body to fight infections. A synthetic version known as interferon alfa can be used to treat bladder cancer, either singly or in combination with BCG.

• Chemotherapy: This treatment uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Usually two or more drugs are given in combination. They can be administered intravenously or directly to the bladder via a tube inserted through the urethra (intravesical therapy). Chemotherapy may be used after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells. It may also be used prior to surgery to shrink the tumor. This will allow for a less invasive procedure.

• Radiation Therapy: The cancer cells are targeted by high energy radiation that kills them. The radiation may come from an external source (external beam radiation) or from a device placed within the bladder (brachytherapy).

It can be used prior to or after surgery in a manner similar to chemotherapy or even in combination with chemotherapy.