Bladder Cancer - How To Administer It?

Statistics report an approximate 38.5% of men and women are diagnosed with some type of cancer during their lifetime. Getting widely prevalent, cancer is a deadly disease. However, due to the continuous efforts in the field of medical science, several treatment methods offering positive results are on the evolve.

Scientists have made great progress in discerning the characteristics of normal and cancer cells in the bladder and also an insight into how this helps the cancer cells to grow and spread to other parts of the body. They are now trying to utilize this knowledge for developing new ways that can treat bladder cancer and others.

1. Screening and diagnostic tests: The newly developed tests are now able to look for different substances in the urine that can help in finding whether there is bladder cancer. They are primarily used for diagnosing bladder cancer or to look for risks and chances of recurrence in individuals who have already been treated. Researchers are now on the way to find out whether these screening tests can help in finding out bladder cancer in people who don't exhibit any signs or symptoms.
2. Surgical intervention: These days, surgeons are making use of the newer approach to cystectomy where the surgeons use robotic arms for performing the surgery. It is commonly referred to as robotic cystectomy, and it allows the surgeon to operate through small incisions in place of a single large one. It helps the patients to recover much quicker. It can also be used in other forms of cancer such as prostate cancer.
3. Immunotherapy: There are immunotherapy drugs now available for treating bladder cancer. It is a treatment that uses the immune system of the body for fighting against cancer which is accomplished using substances that restore the immune system to fight the invading cancer cells effectively.
4. Photodynamic therapy: Photodynamic therapy or PDT is now under study to find out whether it is useful in the treatment of early-stage bladder cancers. In this treatment, the surgeon injects a light-sensitive drug into the bloodstream. After that, a special form of laser light is concentrated on the inner lining of the bladder with the help of the cystoscope. The light alters the composition of the cancer cells which destroys itself.
5. Intravesical immunotherapy: This is yet another form of immune therapy that has already been used for the treatment of other cancers. BCG is a type of intravesical therapy where a germ is injected in liquid form into the bladder. This causes an attraction of immune cells to the lining of the bladder which invariably kills the cancer cells.
6. Targeted therapies: As the researchers can gather more information regarding the alterations in bladder cells which cause them to become cancerous, they are also developing the drugs which can be helpful in targeting these changes. They may be effective in conditions where other chemo drugs fail, and they lead to fewer side effects.

Thus, if you are diagnosed with bladder cancer, do not lose hope but persevere and stay positive to get cured.