Like every other form of cancer, bladder cancer can be treated using several technologies and methods. Your doctor takes the final decision about the option or the procedure that is best for you upon screening your diagnostic reports, general health condition, medical history etc. Some of the methods that can be used for treating bladder cancer are as follows.
Surgical Methods- One of the commonly used methods for removing the cancerous tumor from the bladder is TURBT (Transurethral bladder tumor resection), in this method doctor guides the movement of a catheter through urethra and after reaching the bladder, small surgical instruments are used to excise the tumor. This technique when coupled with chemotherapy and other radiation therapies gives the best result. Another type of surgical method is cystectomy, in cystectomy some portion or entire bladder is removed along with some lymph nodes and some other adjoining organs, in the case of men it could be prostate, urethra etc. and in case of women it is usually fallopian tubes, ovaries and uterus etc. This technique is also coupled with other assistive techniques to get the best results.
Chemotherapy- In chemotherapy specially designed drugs are introduced into the body of the patient either through intra-vesicle approach (drug is delivered into the target organ), or through systemic approach (it is delivered in the entire body). Chemotherapy drugs are specially engineered medicines who have the potential to discriminate between healthy and cancerous cells, thus these drugs help patients get rid of cancerous cells.
Immunotherapy- It is also called biologic therapy, it is designed to boost the body’s natural defenses to fight the cancer. It uses materials made either by the body or in a laboratory to improve, target, or restore immune system function. The specially engineered medicines help in boosting the power of immune system of the body and helps them in identifying cancerous tissue, the identified cells are then killed by the immune system or white blood cells of the body.
Radiation Therapy- Radiations carry energy in them, this energy when concentrated to a particular tissue helps in destroying that tissue because of heat. Various radiations carry various amounts of energy and thus only few are suitable for medical purposes. Various radiation techniques have been developed to target the affected area with pinpoint accuracy and these techniques also help patients recover from benign cancers (cancer that remains confined to a particular area) and are used post-surgery to ensure the success of the procedure.