Current treatment options for bladder cancer
If you are diagnosed with bladder cancer, one or more treatment options will be offered by your doctor. Some of the treatment options that are currently available include medications (such as chemotherapy, which is often placed directly into the bladder), radiation therapy, and surgery (including removal of part or all of the bladder). It is important to discuss these with your doctor – not all treatments can be used for every patient. Also, after you are treated, you will most likely be followed closely to make sure your cancer does not reappear. There are two common ways that patients are followed: with urine cytology (which is the examination of the cells found in the urine to make sure there are no cancer cells) or with cystoscopy (which is basically looking at the inside of the bladder with a camera to make sure that there are no tumors). Again, you should talk with your doctor about the best option for you.
December 15th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Definitely good advice. I would also note that there has been a paradigm shift in the last decade in which talking with your doctor involves more responsibility than it used to. Whereas in the past doctors used to make the majority of health care decisions, doctors these days have become more comfortable considering themselves as advisers and providers of health care options. This means that today’s patients are expected to keep up with a large amount of terminology and technology that they may have difficulty understanding, particularly if they are facing a serious health problem. My recommendation is to keep asking questions until you feel comfortable with the explanations you are getting about your diagnosis and your treatment. If you find yourself unable to understand what your doctor is saying, consider seeking second opinion.
January 12th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
My mom was diagnosed with bladder cancer in september, had three times cystoscopy to remove them all, did chmio, then did 6 weeks of BCG, and 3 weeks fter the end of the BCG treatment, today, we discover the tumour came back. The only option our doctor is giving us is to have radical cystectomy. Not sure that they will be ble to rebuild it inside or have the pouch, depends if the urethra is damaged or not. My question is – how do I know that the radical cystectomy is the best solution? And if it is, how do I know what is the best, least life changing intervention possible? Thanks for your advice.
May 14th, 2009 at 10:55 am
I have had bladder cancer for two years. BCG and thiotepa cleared it temporarily, but it came back. Presently, we are trying BCG again; six weeks, six treatments. Two questions: (1) What other treatments are recommend? And, (2) Would it be better to insert a catheter with medication somehow placed around the balloon which could hold the medication against the bladder wall for an hour or two, instead of injecting medication which may or may not hit all sides of the bladder?
October 11th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Sir, Im 43 years old man and been daignosed with small cell (very aggrasive)bladder cancer.the tuomer is invasive, after removing the
9mm toumr I took 2 cycle chemothearpy then we made a CT scan
which shoud nothing wrong in the bladder.then i took the third cycle.
after that I had costoscopy for two times in the last 4 month.
finally i had the bet/CT scan and the result showed healthy bladder.
no its been 5 month since i took th last cycle of chemo(the total is 3) as i told you.is it possible for such cancer to vanish in 3 chemo cycles.