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Bladder Cancer Treatment
Bladder cancer is a common cause of disease in men and women over the age of 50. It is frequently curable when it is found superficially (on the surface of the bladder), but when it grows to be invasive (more substantially spread deeper into the bladder and surrounding tissue) it can be a fatal illness. It is found in increasing frequency in individuals who are smokers, those who have been found to work with PCB plastics, and certain individuals in the commercial dye industry.
This cancer occurs almost uniformly within the transitional cells of the bladder (the type of cell which lines the bladder wall). Transitional cell cancer is also found in the kidney and the ureter (the tube which connects the kidney to the bladder) although with much less frequency.
Diagnosis of Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer is suspected when the urinalysis shows an increase in the number of white blood cells without evidence of bacterial infection. Urinalysis may also be remarkable for microscopic hematuria (blood in minute quantities). The diagnosis is made by looking inside the bladder during a procedure called cystoscopy. This examination is performed by a Urologist under I.V. sedation or general anesthesia. Biopsies (tissue samples) of the bladder are made to determine if cancer is present. The Pathologist can determine if the cancer is superficial or invasive.
Treatment of Bladder Cancer
Treatment of superficial bladder cancer is typically done by instilling chemotherapy agents into the bladder (through a catheter). Such agents include (Adriamycin), BCG, or other types of chemotherapy. This type of therapy is administered by the urologist.
Invasive bladder cancer requires a radical cystectomy (total surgical removal of the bladder) done by a urologist or can be treated successfully in some patients with a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy (high dose x-rays to a localized body part). Advanced bladder cancer that is spread outside of the bladder requires treatment with chemotherapy, with or without radiation therapy, and is typically not curable. An important part of the treatment of cancer is a nutritious diet.
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