Bladder cancer affects the cells and tissues in and around the bladder, growing and spreading as the cancer progresses. It can be caused by various stressors, including cigarette smoke or your genetic makeup. It can be found in both men and women, and it can be treated in a number of ways.
Bladder cancer treatment will be determined based on the stage of the disease, as well as the symptoms that you have. Blood in your urine, painful urination, frequent urination or an inability to urinate, and other signs can alert you to the fact that you should seek medical attention. The sooner that cancer is diagnosed, the sooner you can begin treatment. This provides you with a higher rate of recovery and a greater chance at successfully destroying the cancerous cells.
Surgical Procedures:
Transurethral surgery is one of the most common and successful forms of bladder cancer treatment for the early stages of the disease. Between stage 0-1, this procedure removes the tumor, which has not yet spread, and is not an invasive as other surgeries required for this type of cancer.
After stage 1 progresses into stage 2 or 3 and the cancer becomes more aggressive, a cystectomy may need to be performed. This is when a surgeon removes part or all of your bladder in an effort to get rid of the cancer from your body. If a radical cystectomy is performed, not only the bladder is removed, but also nearby lymph nodes, prostate or ovaries, and fallopian tube. In women, a portion of the vagina is also sometimes removed so that no cancer cells are left behind. This is a highly invasive procedure.
Following a full removal of the bladder, you will have a reconstructive surgery where doctors create another way for your body to store and dispose of urine. This can be done by using a piece of the intestine.
Radiation Therapy:
Following the surgery, your doctor will likely make use of radiotherapy bladder cancer treatment. This uses high energy x rays to shrink the remaining cancer cells and halt progression of the disease. It has been proven to be very useful in keeping the cancer from returning to patients who are in remission, and it is also used to battle symptoms in palliative situations to reduce pain and swelling.
Intravesical Therapy And Chemotherapy:
Chemotherapy is a common way of treating cancer and uses drugs which are applied intravenously. These target the entire body and work to kill cancer cells and treat symptoms caused by the cancer itself.
Intravesical therapy is similar in that it uses medication to treat the cancerous cells, but unlike chemo, it is inserted directly into the bladder through a catheter so that only the tissues which are cancerous are affected. This can be quite appealing if it is an acceptable form of treatment based on your stage of cancer, because it comes with less of the negative side effects associated with chemotherapy.
Each treatment has its own pros and cons, and you will need to discuss these with your doctor before you begin.