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Bladder Cancer

Get Bladder Cancer Treatment from Orange County Urologic Institute.
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Overview

What is it?

A very common urologic disease.
Bladder cancer is a common type of cancer that begins in the cells of the bladder. The bladder is a hollow muscular organ in your lower abdomen that stores urine. Bladder cancer most often begins in the cells (urothelial cells) that line the inside of your bladder. Urothelial cells are also found in your kidneys and the tubes (ureters) that connect the kidneys to the bladder.
Overview

What is it?

Symptoms

Bladder cancer signs and symptoms may include:

  • Blood in urine (hematuria), which may cause urine to appear bright red or cola colored, though sometimes the urine appears normal and blood is detected on a lab test
  • Frequent urination
  • Painful urination
  • Back pain

Causes

Bladder cancer begins when cells in the bladder develop changes (mutations) in their DNA. A cell’s DNA contains instructions that tell the cell what to do. The changes tell the cell to multiply rapidly and to go on living when healthy cells would die. The abnormal cells form a tumor that can invade and destroy normal body tissue. In time, the abnormal cells can break away and spread (metastasize) through the body.

Diagnosis

Your doctor will want to analyze your urine (urinalysis) to determine if an infection could be a cause of your symptoms. A microscopic examination of the urine, called cytology, will look for cancer cells.

A cystoscopy is the main procedure to identify and diagnose bladder cancer. In this procedure, a lighted telescope (cystoscope) is inserted into your bladder from the urethra to view the inside of the bladder and, when done under anesthesia, take tissue samples (biopsy), which are later examined under a microscope for signs of cancer. When this procedure is done in the doctor’s office, local anesthesia gel is placed into the urethra prior to the procedure to minimize the discomfort.

If the diagnosis of bladder cancer is made, then the next step is to remove the tumor for detailed staging and diagnosis.

Treatment

There are four types of treatment for patients with bladder cancer. These include:

  • Surgery
  • Chemotherapy
  • Intravesical chemotherapy or immunotherapy for superficial cancers
  • Radiation therapy

Sometimes, combinations of these treatments will be used.

Surgical options

Surgery is a common treatment option for bladder cancer. The type of surgery chosen will depend on the stage of the cancer.

  • Transurethral resection of the bladder is used most often for early stage disease (TA, T1, or CIS). It is done under general or spinal anesthesia. In this procedure, a special telescope called a resectoscope is inserted through the urethra into the bladder. The tumor is then trimmed away with the resectoscope, using a wire loop, and the raw surface of the bladder is then fulgurated (destroyed with an electric current).
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More Information

Frequently Asked Questions

Bladder cancer can often be found early because it causes blood in the urine or other urinary symptoms that cause a person to see a health care provider. In most cases, blood in the urine (called hematuria) is the first sign of bladder cancer.
It's common for survivors to worry about their cancer returning, and it takes time for life to feel "normal" again. Managing life after bladder cancer isn't easy, but it's possible. In this guide, we'll share some tips to help you reduce the risk of recurrence and stay in a healthy frame of mind.
Bladder cancer can sometimes cause changes in urination, such as: Having to urinate more often than usual. Pain or burning during urination. Feeling as if you need to go right away, even when your bladder isn't full.
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