Bladder Cancer (cont.)
Methods of treatment
People with bladder cancer have many treatment options. They may have
surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or biological therapy. Some patients
get a combination of therapies.
The doctor is the best person to describe treatment choices and discuss the
expected results of treatment.
A patient may want to talk to the doctor about taking
part in a clinical
trial, a research study of new treatment methods. Clinical trials are an
important option for people with all stages of bladder cancer. The section on
"The Promise of Cancer Research" has more information about clinical trials.
Surgery is a common treatment for bladder cancer. The type of surgery depends
largely on the stage and grade of the tumor. The doctor can explain each type of
surgery and discuss which is most suitable for the patient:
- Transurethral resection:
The doctor may treat early (superficial) bladder cancer with transurethral resection (TUR). During TUR, the doctor inserts a cystoscope into the bladder
through the urethra. The doctor then uses a tool with a small wire loop on the
end to remove the cancer and to burn away any remaining cancer cells with an
electric current. (This is called fulguration.) The patient may need to be in
the hospital and may need anesthesia. After TUR, patients may also have
chemotherapy or biological therapy.
- Radical cystectomy: For
invasive bladder cancer, the most common type of surgery is radical cystectomy. The
doctor also chooses this type of surgery when superficial cancer involves a
large part of the bladder. Radical cystectomy is the removal of the entire
bladder, the nearby lymph nodes, part of the urethra, and the nearby organs
that may contain cancer cells. In men, the nearby organs that are removed are
the prostate, seminal vesicles, and part of the vas deferens. In women, the
uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and part of the vagina are removed.
- Segmental cystectomy: In some cases, the doctor may remove only part of the
bladder in a procedure called segmental cystectomy. The doctor chooses this type
of surgery when a patient has a low-grade cancer that has invaded the bladder
wall in just one area.
Sometimes, when the cancer has spread outside the
bladder and cannot be completely removed, the surgeon removes the bladder but does not try to get rid
of all the cancer. Or, the surgeon does not remove the bladder but makes another
way for urine to leave the body. The goal of the surgery may be to relieve
urinary blockage or other symptoms caused by the cancer.
When the entire bladder is removed, the surgeon makes
another way to collect urine. The patient may wear a bag outside the body, or
the surgeon may create a pouch inside the body with part of the intestine.
These are some questions a patient may want to ask the doctor about surgery:
- What kind of operation will it be?
- How will I feel afterward?
- What will you do for me if I have pain?
- How long will I have to stay in the hospital?
- Will I have any long-term effects?
- When can I get back to my normal activities?
- Will I urinate in a normal way?
- Will the surgery affect my sex life?
- How often will I need checkups?
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Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) uses high-energy rays to kill
cancer cells. Like surgery, radiation therapy is local therapy. It affects
cancer cells only in the treated area.
A small number of patients may have radiation therapy before surgery to
shrink the tumor. Others may have it after surgery to kill cancer cells that may
remain in the area. Sometimes, patients who cannot have surgery have radiation
therapy instead.
Doctors use two types of radiation therapy to treat bladder cancer:
- External radiation: A large machine outside the body aims radiation at the
tumor area. Most people receiving external radiation are treated 5 days a week
for 5 to 7 weeks as an outpatient. This
schedule helps protect healthy cells and tissues by spreading out the total
dose of radiation. Treatment may be shorter when external radiation is given
along with radiation implants.
- Internal radiation: The
doctor places a small container of a radioactive substance into the bladder through the urethra or through an incision in the
abdomen. The patient stays in the hospital for several days during this
treatment. To protect others from radiation exposure, patients may not be able
to have visitors or may have visitors for only a short period of time while the
implant is in place. Once the implant is removed, no radioactivity is left in
the body.
Some patients with bladder cancer receive both kinds of radiation therapy.
These are some questions a patient may want to ask the doctor about radiation
therapy:
- Why do I need this therapy?
- How will the radiation be given?
- Will I need to stay in the hospital? For how
long?
- When will the treatments begin? When will they
end?
- How will I feel during therapy? Are there side
effects?
- What can I do to take care of myself during
treatment?
- How will we know if the radiation is working?
- Will I be able to continue my normal activities
during treatment?
- How often will I need checkups?
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Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. The doctor may use one drug or
a combination of drugs.
For patients with superficial bladder cancer, the doctor
may use intravesical chemotherapy
after removing the cancer with TUR. This is local therapy. The
doctor inserts a tube (catheter) through the urethra and puts liquid drugs in
the bladder through the catheter. The drugs remain in the bladder for several
hours. They mainly affect the cells in the bladder. Usually, the patient has
this treatment once a week for several weeks. Sometimes, the treatments continue
once or several times a month for up to a year.
If the cancer has deeply invaded the bladder or spread to lymph nodes or
other organs, the doctor may give drugs through a vein. This treatment is called
intravenous chemotherapy. It is systemic therapy, meaning that the drugs flow
through the bloodstream to nearly every part of the body. The drugs are usually
given in cycles so that a recovery period follows every treatment period.
The patient may have chemotherapy alone or combined with surgery, radiation
therapy, or both. Usually chemotherapy is an outpatient treatment given at the
hospital, clinic, or at the doctor's office. However, depending on which drugs
are given and the patient's general health, the patient may need a short
hospital stay.
Biological therapy (also called immunotherapy) uses the body's natural
ability (immune system) to fight cancer. Biological therapy is most often used
after TUR for superficial bladder cancer. This helps prevent the cancer from
coming back.
The doctor may use intravesical biological therapy with BCG solution. BCG
solution contains live, weakened bacteria. The bacteria stimulate the immune
system to kill cancer cells in the bladder. The doctor uses a catheter to put
the solution in the bladder. The patient must hold the solution in the bladder
for about 2 hours. BCG treatment is usually done once a week for 6 weeks.
Patients may want to ask these questions about chemotherapy or biological
therapy:
- Why do I need this treatment?
- What drug will I get? How will it be given?
What will it do?
- Will I have side effects? What can I do about
them?
- How long will I be on this treatment?
- How often will I need checkups?
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Next: What are the side effects of bladder cancer treatment? »
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