The bladder is the small organ that sits in the pelvis and stores urine. Bladder cancer occurs when malignant cancer cells begin to grow and spread within the lining of the bladder. If not discovered early, it can spread via the body's lymphatic system to other organs of the body. According to MayoClinic.com, treatment options for metastatic bladder cancer depend on a number of factors, including the type and stage of the cancer, the patient's overall health and personal treatment preferences.
Surgery
Surgery may be an option for patients with bladder cancer that has metastasized to the liver. In North America, the standard treatment of patients with invasive bladder cancers is a radical cystectomy with urinary diversion, reports The National Cancer Institute. In this procedure the entire bladder is removed, along with adjacent lymph nodes. In severe cases, some of the surrounding organs such as the prostate or uterus may also be removed. Some patients may be candidates to undergo surgery on the liver. Depending on the size and location of liver tumors, a surgical resection, ablation, or embolization may be recommended.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of medication to kill cancer cells in the body and keep them from spreading. Chemotherapy may be administered intravenously or in the form of a pill to treat bladder cancer that has metastasized to the liver. Another option, known as hepatic artery infusion is the administration of chemotherapy directly into the hepatic artery, which is the main artery that feeds the liver. Although early studies have found that hepatic artery infusion works to shrink tumors, more research is still needed, says The American Cancer Society. Side effects of chemotherapy can include weakness, fatigue, hair loss, nausea and vomiting, and immunosuppression.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy may be an option for the treatment of metastatic bladder cancer. Radiation therapy uses high beam X-rays to destroy cancer cells. It can be given from a machine outside of the body or internally through the surgical implantation of radioactive wires, rods or seeds. According to MayoClinic.com, radiation therapy may be used before surgery to shrink a tumor so that it can more easily be removed or following surgery to kill cancer cells that might remain.
