Download Bladder Cancer

Bladder Cancer
The bladder is a hollow organ in the lower abdomen. It stores urine, which is the waste excreted by the kidneys as they filter the blood. The bladder wall is made of muscle layers. This allows it to get larger and smaller as urine is stored or emptied. The wall of the bladder is lined with several layers of cells called transitional cells.
Bladder Cancer
Most cancers are named for the part of the body or type of cell in which they begin. 
Transitional cell carcinoma: Cancer that begins in the cells that line the bladder. This type makes up about 90% of bladder cancers.
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Superficial bladder cancer: Cancer that stays in the area lining the bladder. 
Invasive bladder cancer: Cancer that has spread to the muscle wall of the bladder. 
Metastatic bladder cancer: Bladder cancer cells that have traveled through blood and lymph fluid from the tumor in the bladder (primary tumor site) to another part of the body. The cells in the distant tumor are still bladder cancer cells. Risk Factors
These factors can increase the risk of developing bladder cancer.
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Smoking.
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Being exposed to certain substances at work, such as rubber, certain dyes and textiles, paint, and hairdressing supplies.
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Eating a diet high in fried meats and fat.
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Being older, male, or white.
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Having an infection caused by a certain parasite.
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Symptoms of Bladder Cancer
Symptoms of bladder cancer can be like the symptoms of bladder infections, non-cancerous tumors, bladder stones, or other problems. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis, so it is important to see a doctor when you have these symptoms:
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Blood in the urine (slightly rusty to deep red in color).
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Pain when you pass urine.
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Needing to urinate often or feeling the need to urinate without results.
Diagnosis The doctor will ask you about your medical history and perform an exam. This exam may include a rectal and/or vaginal exam to check for tumors that can be felt. Urine will be sent to the lab to be checked for blood and cancer cells. A cystoscopy and biopsy may also be done. During a cystoscopy the doctor inserts a thin, lighted tube (cystoscope) into the bladder through the urethra, which carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. The doctor is able to examine the lining of the bladder. The doctor can also perform a biopsy by removing samples of tissue through this tube. A pathologist examines the samples under a microscope to make a diagnosis. Treatment
Treatment for bladder cancer may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of these treatments. Surgery is a common form of treatment for bladder cancer. 
Early or superficial bladder cancer can be treated with a procedure known as transurethral resection (TUR). The doctor performs a cystoscopy and uses a tool with a small wire at the end to remove or burn away cancer. 
When cancer has invaded the bladder muscle, a cystectomy may be performed. This surgery involves removing all or part of the bladder.
Some patients with bladder cancer have radiation therapy. 
Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to destroy cancer cells. 
External radiation comes from a machine with the rays directed at the tumor site. 
Internal radiation uses a radiation implant placed directly into the bladder.
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Some patients have both kinds of therapy.
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Chemotherapy may be used to treat bladder cancer. 
Chemotherapy uses medication to destroy cancer cells.
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One medication or several medications may be given.
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The medications are given by:
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Injection into a vein.
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Mouth in a pill form.
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Placement into the bladder through a tube called a catheter (intravesical therapy).
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Chemotherapy is also used to help control the disease when cancer cells have deeply invaded the bladder or spread to lymph nodes or organs.
Follow-up Care
Regular follow-up care ensures that changes in your health are noted so that recurrent cancer or other problems can be treated as soon as possible. For people with bladder cancer who have not had their bladder removed, the doctor will check the bladder with a cystoscope. You may also have urine tests, blood tests, a CT scan, a chest X-ray, or other tests. Between checkups, report any health problems to your doctor as soon as they appear.
Rev.4/07, 1/10, 2/13
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