BLADDER CANCER TREATMENT

Cancer research and new bladder cancer treatment options are having a positive impact on survival rates and improving patients’ quality of care and life. The National Cancer Institute reports that rates for bladder cancer cases have fallen an average of more than 1% each year with survival rates holding steady at 77% for the five-year outlook. At Personalized Hematology-Oncology, our oncologists are at the forefront of genetic testing and personalized, targeted cancer treatments. We provide the expertise and compassion to plan a custom-tailored approach for each patient’s particular bladder cancer.

Several different types of cancer start in the bladder, but urothelial carcinoma, also called transitional cell carcinoma, is the most common type. This type of cancer gets it name from the urothelial cells that line the inside of the bladder. Since the bladder is made up of several layers, bladder cancers are typically classified as invasive or non-invasive depending how far they spread, with invasive cancers having grown into multiple layers of the bladder.

Tobacco smoking is the leading risk factor that contributes to most bladder cancers, followed by workplace exposure to carcinogens like benzidine or arsenic. Individuals who do not drink enough water are also at an increased risk of developing cancers of the bladder. Limiting alcohol consumption, staying physically active, and maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle may reduce the risk of bladder cancer, as well as other types of cancer and diseases.

The most common sign of bladder cancer is blood in the urine, but sometimes the amount can be small enough that it is only detectable by a microscope. Other symptoms involve painful urination, frequent urination, or being unable to urinate despite urges.

The most common way to test for bladder cancer is a urinalysis to check for blood in the urine, and fortunately this is often part of a general health checkup. Blood in the urine is typically caused by non-cancerous conditions but can also be the first sign of cancer. Your physician may also conduct a urine cytology test to check for cancerous cells in urine, but it is not reliable for all types of cancer.

Our cancer doctors are experts in genome science, enabling them to determine a specific course of chemotherapy, targeted molecular therapies and infusion administration for each patient’s particular bladder cancer. Cancer patients can count on Personalized Hematology-Oncology for compassionate, expert cancer treatment.