Bladder Cancer Treatment with Surgery

Patient who has been diagnosed with bladder cancer are required to undergo special treatments in order to cure the cancer. Just like any other cancer, the type and the stage of the cancer play big role in the decision of the treatment type. Other factors that affect the decision include age, general health condition and personal references.

Surgery treatment

Surgical procedure is the primary treatment for bladder cancer in every stage. The type of surgery also based on the stage of the cancer. Some available surgical procedures are:

Early stage surgeries

Early stage surgeries usually performed if your bladder cancer is small and hasn’t spread to the bladder wall. Early stage surgeries include surgery to remove the tumor and surgery to remove the tumor and a part of the bladder.

Transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT)

This procedure will be conducted if the tumors still in the inner layer of the bladder. The cancer will be killed and destroyed by heat from an electric wire loop. The wire will be inserted into your bladder though the urethra.

Laser can also be use for this purpose but only for some occasions. This procedure will cause painful or bloody urination for a few days after the surgery.

Segmental or partial cystectomy

This procedure will remove a part of the bladder that inflicted with the cancer. Just like TURBT, this procedure will also cause bleeding. The patient’s urination will become more frequent because the bladder function decreasing but it usually will improve over time.

Advanced stage surgeries

In advanced stage, the cancer sign usually has spread to the deeper layers of the bladder wall. Surgical procedures for advanced bladder cancer include:

Radical cystectomy
this procedure is actually a surgery to remove the whole bladder and the lymph nodes around the bladder. If this procedure performed in men, it involves the removal of the seminal vesicles and prostate and will cause infertility. In women, the procedure will also remove the ovaries, uterus, and some parta of the vagina and also causes infertility.

After radical cystectomy procedure is done, the surgeons will follow with surgical procedure to create new way for urine to leave the patient body. Some options are available and the patient will need to discuss about it with his/her doctor first before the surgery. The surgeons will usually create the way based on patient request or the patient health condition.

All bladder cancer surgical procedures mentioned above usually performed in conjunction with immunotherapy, radiation therapy or chemotherapy.