HEALTH TIPS FOR DISEASE PREVENTION &BETTER HEALTH

Understanding Bladder Cancer -- Diagnosis and Treatment

How Is Bladder Cancer Diagnosed?

To diagnose bladder cancer, your doctor completes a thorough medical history and exam, and then he or she will probably send you to a urologist, a surgeon who has special training in managing diseases of the bladder.

The first test he or she will probably perform is an intravenous pyelogram (IVP) followed by a cystoscopy. During a cystoscopy, the bladder can be viewed through a fiber-optic lighted tube known as a cystoscope. The urologist will pass the cystoscope through the urethra into the bladder and take a urine sample for cytology and perform a brush biopsy, This combination increases the probability of an accurate diagnosis over a urine cytology specimen alone. If the doctor sees anything unusual, like a tumor, a tiny tissue sample is taken through the tube and examined in the laboratory (biopsy). The doctor should also perform an exam to determine if there is a mass that can be felt and whether the bladder is mobile or fixed. Should a tumor be malignant, the treatment will depend on how far, if at all, the cancer has spread.

Blood and urine studies (to look for cancer cells and infection) and imaging studies with X-rays, CT, bone scans, ultrasound, and MRI of the bladder, kidneys, and other organs provide information about tumor size, location, and the degree or amount of spread to other parts of the body.

What Are the Treatments for Bladder Cancer?

Treatment for bladder cancer depends on the stage of the cancer, a measure of how widespread the cancer might be.