Treatment of bladder cancer
Because of recent advancements in field of medicine, treatment methods for bladder cancers are diverse in which surgical method, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and biological (immunotherapy) therapy and are included and are discussed below in detail.
· Surgical methods:
Surgical methods are widely used to treat bladder cancer. It is also of some types. In first type only tumors which are affecting the epithelial layers are removed from the bladder by the doctor. In second type of surgery whole tumor and a small area of urinary bladder on which cancer is present are also removed to ensure that any part of tumor is not left in the bladder.
In the third method whole urinary bladder is removed surgically and with this bladder seminal vesicles and prostate are also removed in men, in women ovaries are removed with the bladder and an alternative path to excrete urine out of the body is constructed by the doctor which is known as urinary conduit which is attached to a pouch that is then hung with abdomen of the patient. This type of surgery has some of the side effects which include bleeding, nerve injuries that may cause erectile deficiency. Learn more about Bladder cancer symptoms.
· Biological therapy:
Biological therapy is also known as immunotherapy in which body’s immune system is stimulated to work against the bladder cancer. This immunotherapy is administered in patients through urethra into the bladder directly. In this therapy synthetic interferon which is used to boost the immunity or a bacterium Bacille Calmette-Guerin who also helps in boosting one’s immune system are used to make their immune system fight against the cancerous cells in urinary bladder cancer.
· Chemotherapy:
Chemotherapy is the use of chemotherapeutic drugs to kill cancer. In bladder cancer patients chemotherapy is administered intravenously (through veins) or intavesicaly (through urethra into bladder). It can be given before surgery to shrink the cancer or after the surgery to kill the remaining cancerous cells. Chemotherapy is often given in combination with radiotherapy.
· Radiotherapy:
Radiotherapy is a substitute treatment method for the surgery in which pulsations of highly energetic radiations are used to destroy the cancerous cells. There are different purposes due to which radiotherapy is used. Radiotherapy is used to reduce the size of cancer before surgery to reduce the size of cancer thus increasing the chances of successful surgery. Radiotherapy is often used as a primary method of treatment if patient is not healthy enough to withstand surgery and its side effects. In some cases the bladder cancer reaches at advance stage when it is not fully curable then radiotherapy is given to reduce its intensity thus decreasing its symptoms. Radiotherapy is often given as an external beam of radiation or sometimes radioactive substance is given with a drug, in such case that drug travels through blood to its targeted area.
With the benefits of radiotherapy in bladder cancer treatment there are also its side effects which include diarrhoea, cystitis which is inflammation in the bladder, loss of pubic hairs, erectile dysfunction, tightening of vagina while making sex difficult and painful, pain in urination and infertility.
· Surgical methods:
Surgical methods are widely used to treat bladder cancer. It is also of some types. In first type only tumors which are affecting the epithelial layers are removed from the bladder by the doctor. In second type of surgery whole tumor and a small area of urinary bladder on which cancer is present are also removed to ensure that any part of tumor is not left in the bladder.
In the third method whole urinary bladder is removed surgically and with this bladder seminal vesicles and prostate are also removed in men, in women ovaries are removed with the bladder and an alternative path to excrete urine out of the body is constructed by the doctor which is known as urinary conduit which is attached to a pouch that is then hung with abdomen of the patient. This type of surgery has some of the side effects which include bleeding, nerve injuries that may cause erectile deficiency. Learn more about Bladder cancer symptoms.
· Biological therapy:
Biological therapy is also known as immunotherapy in which body’s immune system is stimulated to work against the bladder cancer. This immunotherapy is administered in patients through urethra into the bladder directly. In this therapy synthetic interferon which is used to boost the immunity or a bacterium Bacille Calmette-Guerin who also helps in boosting one’s immune system are used to make their immune system fight against the cancerous cells in urinary bladder cancer.
· Chemotherapy:
Chemotherapy is the use of chemotherapeutic drugs to kill cancer. In bladder cancer patients chemotherapy is administered intravenously (through veins) or intavesicaly (through urethra into bladder). It can be given before surgery to shrink the cancer or after the surgery to kill the remaining cancerous cells. Chemotherapy is often given in combination with radiotherapy.
· Radiotherapy:
Radiotherapy is a substitute treatment method for the surgery in which pulsations of highly energetic radiations are used to destroy the cancerous cells. There are different purposes due to which radiotherapy is used. Radiotherapy is used to reduce the size of cancer before surgery to reduce the size of cancer thus increasing the chances of successful surgery. Radiotherapy is often used as a primary method of treatment if patient is not healthy enough to withstand surgery and its side effects. In some cases the bladder cancer reaches at advance stage when it is not fully curable then radiotherapy is given to reduce its intensity thus decreasing its symptoms. Radiotherapy is often given as an external beam of radiation or sometimes radioactive substance is given with a drug, in such case that drug travels through blood to its targeted area.
With the benefits of radiotherapy in bladder cancer treatment there are also its side effects which include diarrhoea, cystitis which is inflammation in the bladder, loss of pubic hairs, erectile dysfunction, tightening of vagina while making sex difficult and painful, pain in urination and infertility.