Treatment options for bladder cancer depend on a number of factors, including the type of cancer, grade of the cancer and stage of the cancer, which are taken into consideration along with your overall health and your treatment preferences.
Bladder cancer treatment may include:
• Surgery, to remove the cancer cells
• Chemotherapy in the bladder (intravesical chemotherapy), to treat cancers that are confined to the lining of the bladder but have a high risk of recurrence or progression to a higher stage
• Chemotherapy for the whole body (systemic chemotherapy), to increase the chance for a cure in a person having surgery to remove the bladder, or as a primary treatment when surgery isn't an option
• Radiation therapy, to destroy cancer cells, often as a primary treatment when surgery isn't an option or isn't desired
• Immunotherapy, to trigger the body's immune system to fight cancer cells, either in the bladder or throughout the body
• Targeted therapy, to treat advanced cancer when other treatments haven't helped
A combination of treatment approaches may be recommended by your doctor and members of your care team.
Courtesy: Mayo Clinic
