Bladder Cancer and How to Treat It

By Dr. Anshu Guleria

The bladder is a hollow muscular organ located in the pelvis inside the body and is responsible for holding urine. Bladder Cancer is a malignant growth within the urinary bladder. Cancer of the bladder results in the growth of abnormal cells in the bladder, which multiply beyond control. Cancer of the bladder commonly starts in the inside lining of the bladder and is called transitional cell carcinoma.

Blood in the urine is one of the most common sign of cancer of the bladder. The blood can be visible to the naked eye or detectable using a microscope. Other signs of cancer of the bladder can include the feeling of having to urinate but being unable to, pain when urinating, and frequent urination, however, these signs can be caused by another ailment and not be caused by cancer of the bladder. Therefore, it is best to go for further examination by a doctor to have your symptoms accurately diagnosed.

Cancer of the bladder affects over 50,000 people annually in the United States and accounts for approximately 10,000 deaths. The disease is associated with old age since on average it is diagnosed in people at age 68, although there are a significant number of people below the age of 68 who are diagnosed with cancer of the bladder as well. Bladder cancer is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States for men aged 75 years due to cancer. The cause of cancer of the bladder has been linked to long exposure of rubber by-products and dyestuffs. Smoking of cigarettes is also known to contribute the development of this disease. Men are at a higher risk for cancer of the bladder than women in a ratio of 3:1.

The primary diagnostic methods for diagnosing cancer of the bladder are a cystoscopy, in which the bladder is inspected with a telescope like-instrument and a bladder biopsy. The treatment of bladder cancer is done after taking into consideration a variety of factors including health status, age, and state of the cancer. The preferred treatment for bladder cancer by doctors is surgery. Before treatment can be done, the state of the cancer must be known first. In case the infection is superficial i.e. infection in the lining of the bladder, then trans-urethral resection and intra-vesicle pharmacotherapy treatment is typically what is recommended. Deep bladder tumors are treated by surgically removing the bladder and a urinary diversion is used whenever a whole bladder is removed.

Treatment for blood cancer is aimed at eradicating the disease if the cancer is superficial to avoid deep infections into the muscles of the bladder and to prevent the occurrence of tumors. Superficial tumors due to bladder cancer can reoccur after 6-12 months of treatment using trans-urethral re-sectioning. Therefore, immunomodulatory drugs and intravascular pharmacotherapy treatments are preferred as they reduce the reoccurrence rate of superficial bladder cancer. The total removal of the bladder is the standard method of treatment for bladder cancer that invades the muscular layers. The bladder, pelvic lymph nodes, seminal and prostate vesicles are removed. In order to manage urinary flow as a result, a urinary diversion is created.