About Bladder cancer
Bladder cancer develops when the cells that compose the urinary bladder start to proliferate uncontrollably. A tumor can emerge when multiple new cancer cells grow; over time, that tumor may spread to other areas of the body.
Risk Factors & Prevention
Almost 70% of Bladder cancer patients are over the age of 65. Bladder cancer is four times more common in men than in women.
Some risk factors are:
- Use of Tobacco / Smoking
- Previous pelvic radiation therapy
- Persistent bladder infection
- Use of Cyclophosphamide
- Use of Pioglitazone
- People with lynch syndrome and other genetic syndromes
- Exposure to Arsenic
How can it be prevented?
- Quit Smoking
- Limited exposure to chemicals
- High intake of fluids
- Healthy diet
Screening
No prominent professional groups now advocate routine public screening for Bladder cancer.
Potential screening procedures for Bladder cancer are:
- Urinalysis
- Urine cytology
- Urine tests for tumor marker
- Ultrasound
Symptoms & Signs
- Urinary blood or blood clots
- When urinating, feeling pain or burning sensation
- Frequent urge to urinate
- Having the urge to urinate but being unable to do so
- Lower back discomfort on one side of the body
Diagnosis
Bladder cancer diagnostic tests determine whether you have the disease and how aggressive it may be.
Tools and tests include:
- Cystoscopy
- Biopsy/Transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT)
- Biomarker
- CT or CAT scan
- MRI
- Bone scan
- PET-CT scan
- Ultrasound
Sub-Types and Stages
Noninvasive, non-muscle-invasive, or muscle-invasive
Bladder cancer are all possible groupings:
- Urothelial carcinoma
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Adenocarcinoma
- Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the bladder
- Small cell Bladder cancer
Stages
Stage 0:
Cancer is only present in the inner layer of the bladder lining, OR the inner layer only contains very early high-grade cancer cells which have not invaded the bladder lining.
Stage 1:
The connective tissue under the bladder lining has become infiltrated by the malignancy.
Stage 2:
Cancer has spread into the bladder wall muscle through the connective tissue layer.
Stage 3:
Cancer has spread to the prostate, womb, or vagina after bursting through the muscle and into the fat layer. Additionally, it might have affected adjacent lymph nodes.
Stage 4:
Cancer has spread to distant lymph nodes and bodily organs such as the bones, lungs, or liver.
Treatment Modalities
a. Surgical Oncology
A few of the prominent surgical options for treating Bladder cancer:
- Transurethral bladder tumor resection (TURBT) – Removes the tumor using a tool called fulguration.
- Radical cystectomy and lymph node dissection – Removing the whole bladder and any adjacent affected tissues or organs.
b. Medical Oncology
- Intravesical chemotherapy (Chemotherapy in the bladder) – Used to treat cancers that are limited to the bladder’s lining but are at high risk of returning or progressing to a more advanced stage.
- Systemic chemotherapy (Chemotherapy for the whole body) – Used as a primary treatment when surgery is not an option or to increase the likelihood of a cure in patients having surgery to remove the bladder.
- Immunotherapy – Activating the body’s defenses against cancer cells, whether they are in the bladder or elsewhere in the body.
- Targeted therapy – Used to treat advanced cancer.
c. Radiation Oncology
- Typically, a machine that moves around your body delivers radiation therapy for Bladder cancer by aiming energy beams at specific locations.
Coping with Treatment
Along with the medical side effects of Bladder cancer therapy, patients also deal with the financial burden of cancer care and the emotional and social impacts. MOC provides facility of psycho Onco-Counseling and Nutritional counseling to help patients.
Do’s & Don’ts During Treatment
Do’s
- Maintain a well-balanced diet
- Consume adequate protein sources
- Eat every 2 to 3 hours
- Drink plenty of water
Don’ts
- Avoid overexertion
Post-Treatment Support
Post-treatment Bladder cancer survivors can undergo long-term side effects of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and hormonal therapy. They can also have symptoms such as High-frequency hearing loss and tinnitus, low blood counts, nausea, and vomiting. Survivors require empathy, mental strength, and support from their families. They can also join Bladder cancer Post-Treatment Survivorship Support Groups.
Follow-ups Cancer Care Plan
Post-treatment, one must request a follow-up treatment plan. Doctors provide a personalized treatment plan based on the type and stage of cancer.
Surveillance and monitoring for Signs & Symptoms of Recurrence
One aim of follow-up care is checking for a recurrence, and one should never miss follow-up visits and never ignore any symptoms of recurrence. Because some cancer cells may remain undiscovered in the body in small locations that don’t respond to treatment, cancer can reoccur. A physician knowledgeable about your medical history can provide personalized information regarding your risk of recurrence during follow-up care.
FAQ's
-
What are my treatment options for Bladder cancer?
The types and stages of cancer determine the therapy options.
-
Having my surgery done robotically would be beneficial?
The results are the same whether the surgery was performed open or robotically.
-
Are Bladder cancer symptoms different in women than in men?
No, In general, women and men experience the same symptoms of Bladder cancer.
Specialized Doctors at MOC
-
Dr. Vashistha Pankaj Maniar
M.B.B.S, M.D [ Medicine], D.M( Medical Oncology) , ECMO [ European Society Certification in Medical Oncology ]Speciality- Medical and Pediatric Hemato-Oncologist.
Know More -
Dr. Ashish Joshi
M.B.B.S, M.D [medicine], D.M ( Medical Oncology)Speciality- Medical and Pediatric Hemato-Oncologist.
Know More -
Dr. Pritam Baban Kalaskar
M.B.B.S, M.D [ Medicine], D.M (Medical Oncology)Speciality- Medical and Pediatric Hemato-Oncologist.
Know More -
Dr. Kshitij Chandrakant Joshi
M.B.B.S, M.D [ Medicine], D.M.( Medical Oncology), D.N.B.( Medical Oncology), ECMOSpeciality- Medical and Pediatric Oncologist and Hematologist.
Know More -
Dr. Pradip Kendre
M.B.B.S, D.N.B. [Medicine], D.M.[Medical Oncology]Speciality- Medical and Pediatric Hemato-Oncologist.
Know More -
Dr. Udip Maheshwari
M.B.B.S, M.D [Medicine], D.N.B. [Medical Oncology], ECMO [ European Society Certification in Medical Oncology]Speciality- Medical Oncologist and Hemato-Oncologist.
Know More -
Dr. Smit Sheth
M.B.B.S, M.D [ Medicine], D.M.( Medical Oncology) , ECMO [ European Society Certification in Medical Oncology]Speciality- Medical Oncologist and Hemato-Oncologist.
Know More -
Dr. Sonal Dhande
M.B.B.S., M.D., D.N.B. [Internal Medicine], D.N.B. [Medical Oncology]Speciality- Medical Oncologist & Hemato-Oncologist.
Know More -
Dr. Chandrashekhar Pethe
M.B.B.S., M.D. [Internal Medicine], D.M. [Medical Oncology]Speciality- Medical Oncologist and Hemato-Oncologist.
Know More -
Dr. Divya Uchil
B.E. (Biotechnology), MSc. (Genetic Counseling) Genetic Counselor - OncologySpeciality- Certified Cancer Genetic Counsellor.
Know More -
Dr. Seema Jagiasi
D.N.B. [General Medicine], D.N.B. [Medical Oncology]Speciality- Medical Oncologist & Hemato-Oncologist.
Know More -
Dr. Mangesh Mekha
D.M.(Medical Oncology), D.N.B. [Medical Oncology], ECMOSpeciality- Medical Oncologist & Hemato-Oncologist.
Know More -
Dr. Ritu Dave
D.N.B. [Medical Oncology], ECMO (European Society Certification in Medical Oncology)Speciality- Medical Oncologist & Hemato-Oncologist.
Know More -
Dr. Akshay Shivchhand
MBBS, MD, DM, DNB(Medical Oncology), ECMOSpeciality- Medical Oncologist & Hemato-Oncologist.
Know More -
Dr. Devendra Pal
MBBS, MD, DM, DNB(Medical Oncology), ECMOSpeciality- Medical Oncologist & Hemato-Oncologist.
Know More -
Dr. Taha Sethjiwala
MBBS, MD, DMSpeciality- Medical Oncologist & Hemato-Oncologist.
Know More -
Dr. Prakash Devde
MBBS, MD, DMSpeciality- Medical Oncologist & Hemato-Oncologist.
Know More -
Dr. Makarand Randive
MBBS, MD, DM, ECMOSpeciality- Medical Oncologist & Hemato-Oncologist.
Know More -
Dr. Naganath Narasimhan Prem
MBBS, M.D (Geriatric Medicine), BMJ, SIOGSpeciality- Geriatrician/Elder Care Specialist Physician.
Know More -
Dr. Krushna Chaudhari
D.N.B. [Internal Medicine], D.N.B. [Medical Oncology], E.C.M.OSpeciality- Medical Oncologist & Hemato-Oncologist
Know More
Find the nearest center
Cancer Centres
Mumbai
Other Locations
Cancer Clinics
Explore More
-
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy employs drugs to eradicate cancer cells. With this specific cancer therapy, cancer cells are prevented from multiplying, dividing, and generating new cells. A number of cancers can be treated using chemotherapy. Your doctor may refer to chemotherapy as normal chemotherapy, conventional chemotherapy, or cytotoxic chemotherapy. The medicine chemotherapy has an overall body-wide impact. This implies that it circulates throughout the body via the bloodstream. Chemotherapy comes in a variety of forms. Chemotherapy drugs, in general, are strong chemicals that destroy malignant cells at specific stages of the cell cycle. In all living things, new cells are produced by a process called the cell cycle. Chemotherapy has a greater effect on these rapidly multiplying cells because cancer cells go through this cycle faster than healthy cells.
Read more -
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy, a wide term for a class of drugs used to treat cancer, activates the immune system to fight cancer cells. Healthy cells naturally die off, however, cancer cells do not. They proliferate like an untamed copy machine that won’t quit. The immune system, which protects the body from infections and disease, is unable to identify these abnormal cells because they frequently alter or mutate. In order for the immune system to detect and destroy these changed cells, drugs employed in cancer immunotherapy are designed to alert it to their presence. Immunotherapy is a treatment option for several types of cancer. It may be used alone or in conjunction with other cancer treatments such as chemotherapy.
Read more -
Targeted Therapy
Targeted therapy is a method of cancer treatment that identifies and kills specific cancer cell types. Targeted therapy may be used alone or in conjunction with other forms of therapy, including radiation therapy, surgery, conventional chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. Knowing how it functions and what to anticipate can frequently help you get ready for treatment and make wise decisions about your care if your treatment plan calls for targeted therapy. “Targeted therapy” for cancer focuses on particular proteins that control the growth, proliferation, and spread of cancer cells. Precision medicine is built on this principle. As information about the DNA alterations and proteins that feed cancer grows, researchers are better able to create cancer therapies that target these proteins.
Read more -
Palliative Care
Palliative care is a medical treatment designed to enhance the quality of life for people with serious or life-threatening illnesses, such as cancer. It may be administered with or without curative therapy. Along with cancer treatments that aim to stop, slow down or cure cancer, palliative care is a crucial component of medical therapy. Palliative care, according to research, can increase your quality of life and make you feel happier with your medical care. Palliative care may begin as soon as you find that you have cancer and you may continue to get it while undergoing treatment and recovering. For instance, palliative care may be provided to cancer survivors who continue to experience symptoms or side effects after their treatment has finished.
Read more -
2nd Opinion Clinic
A second opinion is a medical diagnosis offered by a medical professional or organization other than the one currently treating the patient. The patient or their family or friends give the second doctor access to the patient’s medical information. The second doctor evaluates the records and offers a Second Opinion on the best course of treatment, outlining why it is the best option. In complex circumstances, second opinions offer the chance to review the problem with a panel of experts or a tumor board and suggest the best, most patient-centered course of action. The patient is free to decide whether or not to accept an opinion of their own.
Read more
Book Your Appointment
