Bladder Cancer Treatment in Mountlake Terrace, Washington (WA)
The main treatments for bladder cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, biological therapy, and radiation therapy. Your doctor also may prescribe a combination approach. Which treatments your doctor recommends will depend on a number of factors including where the cancer started and what stage the cancer is in.
Surgery for Bladder Cancer
Physically removing tissue affected by cancer may be the best approach. There are various surgical procedures available. Transurethral resection (TUR) is a minimally invasive procedure used in the first stages of bladder cancer where the cancer is found only in the bladder’s inner lining. During TUR the surgeon inserts a hollow tube with a lighted camera (cystoscope) through the urethra and into the bladder. A tiny cutting tool is then threaded through the cystoscope to remove the cancer.
Open Surgery is indicated if either part of the bladder needs to be removed (partial cystectomy) or the entire bladder needs to be removed (radical cystectomy). During open surgery any affected lymph nodes will also be removed.
If a radical cystectomy is performed, urine flow will need to be redirected. This is accomplished either by urostomy, where a small opening (stoma) is created through in the skin, or by continent diversion, where a pouch is created near the bladder site. The pouch will either redirect urine through a stoma, or will be attached directly to the urethra.
Bladder Cancer Therapies
Chemotherapy is often used in conjunction with surgery. Chemotherapy drugs are used to kill cancer cells and are administered intravenously, orally, or by injection into the bladder.Biological therapy, also known as biological response modifier therapy, employs the body’s own immune system to keep cancer from returning. It is usually administered once a week for several weeks after a TUR is performed. In biological therapy for bladder cancer, a catheter is inserted through the urethra and into the bladder. Your doctor will feed a liquid solution containing laboratory-grown bacteria into the bladder, which will need to be held in the bladder for approximately two hours to enable the solution to work.
Radiation therapy employs high-energy rays (radiation) to destroy bladder cancer cells, and may be used alone or in conjunction with surgery and chemotherapy.
Talk to your doctor about what treatment options are right for you.
About James R. Downey, MD
Dr. James R. Downey MD currently serves on the physician staff at Urology Northwest in Mount Lake Terrace, Washington. Graduating from Tufts University Medical School in 1983, Dr. Downey has over 30 years of experience treating urological issues. His hospital affiliations include Northwest Hospital, Swedish Edmonds Hospital, and the Swedish Medical Center. His professional interests include cancer and benign disease of the prostate, kidney stones, impotence, incontinence, vasectomies, and vasectomy reversals. If you are need of a highly skilled urology specialist in the Washington area, Dr. Downey is an excellent choice!
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