Bladder cancer is a disease that occurs more frequently in older adults, however it can occur in people of all ages. When detected in its early stages, as a majority of cases are according to the Mayo Clinic, it is treated with a great rate of success. The course of treatment depends on the severity of the cancer, your health and what you may prefer once all options have been discussed with your doctor.
Surgical Procedures
Surgery is usually the first course of treatment used for bladder cancer. A variety of surgeries may be performed; the type chosen depends entirely on the stage of your cancer.
For bladder cancer that is detected early, your doctor may opt to remove only the tumor, provided the cancer is confined within the inner layers of the bladder. He may also choose to remove the tumor and a small portion of your bladder containing the cancer cells provided it will not interfere with bladder function.
If the cancer is detected in later stages and has penetrated deeper layers of the bladder wall, your doctor may need to remove your entire bladder. For women this means removing the uterus, ovaries and part of the vagina as well. For men, the prostate and semen vesicles (structures that contribute fluid during ejaculation) are removed. Immediately following this surgery, the doctor will create a new way for urine to be excreted from the body.
Chemotherapy Treatment
Chemotherapy is a type of treatment that uses drugs to destroy cancer cells and tumors. Because these drugs enter the bloodstream, it is an effective means of treating cancer cells that may have spread to other areas of the body.
In some cases, your doctor may use chemotherapy before surgery to shrink the tumor, increasing her success with removing the tumor. In most cases however, it is used after surgery to destroy any cancer cells that may have remained after the tumor is removed. Baptist Health Systems states that the most common chemotherapy drugs used in the treatment of bladder cancer include cisplatin, gemcitabin, vinblastin and methotrexate.
Radiation Therapy
Another type of therapy that may be used in conjunction with surgery, radiation therapy aims high-energy beams precisely at the site of the cancer to shrink the tumor or destroy cancer cells. The two most commonly used types of radiation are external and internal. External beam radiation administers the beams through a machine placed outside the body, while internal radiation places a catheter of radioactive material inside the bladder, close to the site of the tumor.
Biological Therapy
Biological therapy incorporates the use of synthetic proteins that are naturally produced by the body. These drugs boost the immune system, helping the body fight the cancer cells. When used in the treatment of bladder cancer, these drugs are generally administered through the urethra and into the bladder. The most commonly used drugs are Bacille Calmette-Guerin and interferon, a cell used by the body to fight infections.
