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.