The bladder is an organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine; when malignant cells form in the tissues in the bladder, a diagnosis of bladder cancer is made. After diagnosis, staging occurs. Staging cancer involves using a standardized system to classify and describe the spread and extent of disease. It also helps guide treatment and prognosis. Bladder cancer is staged from Stage 0, or noninvasive cancer, to Stage IV, which is metastatic cancer.
Significance
Over 70,900 new diagnoses of bladder cancer were made in the United States in 2009, according to the American Cancer Society. It is almost three times as likely to be diagnosed in men than women, and 90 percent of cases are diagnosed in individuals over the age of 55. The cancer is confined to the bladder in nearly 75 percent of cases.
Features
The American Cancer Society describes Stage II bladder cancer as involving cancer that has spread to the muscular layer of the wall of the bladder, but has not broken through to the fatty tissue around the bladder. Lymph nodes and distant organs are cancer-free.
Identification
To make an accurate diagnosis of bladder cancer, an array of tests may be used. These tests include urinalysis, CT scans to take pictures of tissues and organs in the body and an internal exam of the vagina and/or rectum. A cystoscopy may be performed, which is a procedure examining the inside of the bladder and urethra for any cancerous areas using an instrument called a cystoscope. During cystoscopy, a piece of tissue may be biopsied from the bladder for microscopic examination for cancer cells.
Treatment
The National Cancer Institute lists several treatments available for Stage II bladder cancer. A radical cystectomy, the removal of the bladder and surrounding tissues or organs, with or without removing the adjacent lymph nodes, may be performed. In some cases, chemotherapy may be given prior to surgery; radiation and chemotherapy may also be an option to treat bladder cancer of this stage. Removing cancerous parts of the bladder or destroying cancerous tissue with an electric current are also approved treatments.
Effects
Side effects are possible with bladder cancer treatments. Surgery side effects can include urinary tract infections, incontinence, and the need for bladder reconstruction, depending on the kind of procedure. Fatigue, diarrhea, lowered blood counts leading to anemia and increased risk of infection, and burning with urination can be side effects of radiation and chemotherapy. Not everyone experiences side effects, and these tend to resolve once treatment is finished.
Time Frame
Five-year survival rates describe the percentage of patients alive five years post diagnosis. The American Cancer Society describes the five-year survival rate for Stage II bladder cancer as 63 percent.
References
- American Cancer Society: How is bladder cancer staged?
- American Cancer Society: What are the key statistics for bladder cancer?
- National Cancer Institute: General information about bladder cancer
- National Cancer Institute: Bladder Cancer: Treatment Options by Stage
- American Cancer Society: Radiation Therapy
