Bladder Cancer

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Bladder cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the bladder - organ which stores the urine produced by the kidneys before it is passed out of the body. 

UK incidence: 10,200 new cases and 4800 people die per year in the UK with a lifetime risk of 3%.

Types: The types of bladder cancer are more common transitional cell carcinoma then squamous cell or adenocarcinoma: (find out more).

Risks factors: In most cases there are usually no predisposing risk factors but there is some evidence of associations with a previous poor diet, smoking, alcohol, industrial exposure to dyes or chemicals or infection with a parasite (find out more).

Tests to determine a diagnosis and help decide on treatment options: Pelvic examination, blood tests, ultrasound of kidneys, MRI or CT scan, cystoscopy and biopsy (find out more)

What determines what treatment to use and whether it will be successful (prognosis):-

• The stage of the disease (whether it is superficial, invasive into the bladder wall or spread to other places in the body). The disease in the early stages can often be cured.
• The type of  cells and how aggressive they look under a microscope (grade).
• The age and general health.

  Treatment options (find out more):-

  Treatment for the disease depends on its stage , type, and the patient's age and overall health. It may be classed as radical - aiming to cure or palliative - aiming to control symptoms. Options, often in combination include:-

  • Local resection (via a cystoscope)

  • Immunotherapy (injected via a catheter into the bladder eg. intravesical BCG)

  • Local chemotherapy (injected via a catheter into the bladder eg intravesicle mitomycin-c)

  • General surgery (via an incision through the abdomen)

  • Radiation therapy

  • Systemic chemotherapy (via a vein in the arm).