- Bladder (urinary bladder) Cancer
These are tumors that develop in the urinary bladder. Although exposure to many carcinogenic substances is blamed for the cause, it is most commonly associated with smoking. The risk of occurrence is higher in people working in the paint and rubber industry than in the normal population.
- Symptoms, Findings and Diagnosis
The most common symptom It is the recurring bloody and clotted urine at intervals without pain. In addition, symptoms of infection that last a long time and do not go away despite treatment, such as frequent urination and burning sensation, should also be suspected. It can be seen in both men and women.
Urinary tests (cytology, FISH) are generally not satisfactorily diagnostic. As a result of bladder ultrasonography, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging methods, a mass lesion that has reached a sufficient size within the bladder may be seen. However, in cases where bladder cancer is strongly suspected, the most definitive diagnostic method is endoscopic visualization of the inside of the bladder by entering the urinary tract with a thin optical instrument (Cystoscopy). During this time, a sample is taken from the suspicious lesions and sent for pathological evaluation, and if possible, the entire treatment is started.
If the result is bladder cancer as a result of the pathological evaluation, the depth of the cancer in the bladder, whether it has spread outside, whether it has metastasized to distant organs or not. The disease stage is determined in the light of parameters such as.
- Treatment
Cancers that are superficial in the bladder and have not descended to the bladder muscle tissue are diagnosed with cystoscopy. It is cleaned from the inside and monitored periodically. These intervals are generally every 3 months for the first year. Patients who smoke are advised to quit. For tumors that have a high risk of recurrence and are widespread in the bladder, chemotherapy drugs can be given through a catheter inserted into the bladder through the urinary tract.
For bladder cancers that have reached the bladder muscle at the time of initial diagnosis or progressed during follow-up, if there is no spread to another part of the body. The best treatment method is to completely remove the bladder (radical cystectomy). This is In this procedure, a new urinary bag is made using a part of the intestines. This bag can be connected to the normal urinary tract or opened directly to the abdominal wall in unsuitable patients. For patients who do not want their bladder to be removed or who are not suitable for surgery, applying radiation to the bladder from outside the body (radiotherapy) is also a treatment option.
In cases where the bladder cannot be completely removed or when there is spread to another part of the body. chemotherapy must be given. Chemotherapy may be given to some patients before surgery to shrink the tumor and prevent possible microscopic spread outside the bladder. If there is a suspicion of tumor extension outside the bladder in the postoperative pathological evaluation, chemotherapy may need to be given as additional treatment.
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