Treatment of bladder cancer
In the treatment of low-risk, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, a transurethral resection of bladder tumor, (TUR-BT) is performed, and the bladder is irrigated with a single dose of chemotherapy in connection with surgery. The irrigation can be performed only if the bladder wall is intact.
Patients with moderate and high risk bladder cancer also receive chemotherapeutic or immunological irrigation treatments of the bladder. In this intravesical treatment, the nurse inserts the drug into the bladder using a catheter. The drug is kept in the bladder for two hours, after which it can be urinated out of the bladder.
We administer these intravesical treatments as a series of treatments, usually starting with six weekly treatments. We continue the treatments as maintenance therapy for one to three years.
In localized cancer that grows into the muscle layer of the bladder, surgery is the most effective form of treatment. In men, in addition to the bladder, the prostate gland is removed, and in women, the uterus and ovaries. Chemotherapy given before surgery improves the prognosis by reducing local cancer recurrence and reducing the risk of metastases. Treatment requires that you have good general condition and good kidney function.
We can give radiation therapy to patients who are not suitable for surgery or do not want their bladder removed. A more effective form of treatment than radiation therapy is chemoradiotherapy, in which we also combine chemotherapy with radiation. The best treatment results have been achieved by combining the most accurate resection surgery possible with subsequent chemoradiotherapy.
Updated: 06.02.2024