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Bladder Cancer Center - Altoona, PA

Altoona Oncologist Doctors for Bladder Cancer

Type of Physician: Oncologist

What is a Oncologist?

A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; the oncologist specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of all types of cancer and other benign and malignant tumors. These subspecialists decide on and administer chemotherapy as well as consult with surgeons and radiotherapists on other treatment for cancer.

Specialty: Oncology (Medical)

Common Name: Cancer Doctor

Altoona, Pennsylvania

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Bladder Cancer

The bladder

Your bladder is a hollow organ in the lower abdomen. It stores urine, the liquid waste made by the kidneys.

Your bladder is part of the urinary tract. Urine passes from each kidney into the bladder through a long tube called a ureter. Urine leaves the bladder through a shorter tube (the urethra).

The wall of the bladder has layers of tissue:

  • Inner layer: The inner layer of tissue is also called the lining. As your bladder fills up with urine, the transitional cells on the surface stretch. When you empty your bladder, these cells shrink.
  • Middle layer: The middle layer is muscle tissue. When you empty your bladder, the muscle layer in the bladder wall squeezes the urine out of your body.
  • Outer layer: The outer layer covers the bladder. It has fat, fibrous tissue, and blood vessels.

Cancer Cells

Cancer begins in cells, the building blocks that make up tissues. Tissues make up the bladder and the other organs of the body.

Normal cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When normal cells grow old or get damaged, they die, and new cells take their place.

Sometimes, this process goes wrong. New cells form when the body doesn't need them, and old or damaged cells don't die as they should. The buildup of extra cells often forms a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor.

Tumors in the bladder can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer). Benign tumors are not as harmful as malignant tumors:

  • Benign tumors:

    • are usually not a threat to life
    • can be treated or removed and usually don't grow back
    • don't invade the tissues around them
    • don't spread to other parts of the body.
  • Malignant growths:

    • may be a...

Recommended Reading Related to Bladder Cancer

Cancer »

What is cancer?

Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells anywhere in a body. The abnormal cells are termed cancer cells, malignant cells, or tumor cells. Many cancers and the abnormal cells that compose the cancer tissue are further identified by the name of the tissue that the abnormal cells originated from (for example, breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer). Cancer is not confined to humans; animals and other living organisms can get cancer. Below is a schematic that shows normal cell division and how when a cell is damaged or altered without repair to its system, the cell usually dies. Also shown is what can occur when such damaged or unrepaired cells do not die and become cancer cells and proliferate with uncontrolled growth; a mass of cancer cells develop. Frequently, cancer cells can break away from this original mass of cells, travel through the blood and lymph systems, and lodge in other organs where they can again repeat the ...

Emergency Contact for Altoona

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Altoona Hospitals *

Altoona Regional Health System Bon Secours Hospital Campus
2500 7th Ave
Altoona, PA 16602
(814)889-2011

Altoona Regional Hospital
620 Howard Ave
Altoona, PA 16601
(814)889-2011

James E Van Zandt VA Medical Center
2907 Pleasant Valley Blvd
Altoona, PA 16602
(814)943-8164

HEALTHSOUTH Altoona Rehabilitation Hospital
2005 Valley View Blvd
Altoona, PA 16602
(814)944-3535

Nason Hospital
105 Nason Dr
Roaring Spring, PA 16673
(814)224-2141

Tyrone Hospital
One Hospital Dr
Tyrone, PA 16686
(814)684-1255

Miners Medical Center
290 Haida Ave
Hastings, PA 16646
(814)247-3100

J C Blair Memorial Hospital
1225 Warm Springs Ave
Huntingdon, PA 16652
(814)643-2290

Windber Medical Center
600 Somerset Ave
Windber, PA 15963
(814)467-3000

Crichton Rehabilitation Center
320 Main St
Johnstown, PA 15901
(814)255-6800

Memorial Medical Center Lee Campus
320 Main St
Johnstown, PA 15901
(814)534-6000

Good Samaritan Medical Center
1020 Franklin St
Johnstown, PA 15905
(814)534-9000

Memorial Medical Center
1086 Franklin St
Johnstown, PA 15905
(814)534-9000

Select Specialty Hospital Johnstown
1086 Franklin St
Johnstown, PA 15905
(814)534-5000

UPMC Bedford Memorial
10455 Lincoln Hwy
Everett, PA 15537
(814)623-6161

Mount Nittany Medical Center
1800 E Park Ave
State College, PA 16803
(814)231-7000

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