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Bladder Tumor
What is
Bladder Tumor?
A
bladder tumor is the excess growth of cells that
line the inside of the bladder. The growth of
the bladder cells are uncontrolled.
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Effects
of Bladder Tumor
Removing a bladder tumor aids in the treatment
of superficial bladder cancer. Its objectives
include the eradication of the disease on hand,
to make available prophylaxis against recurrence
of the tumor, and in order to avoid invasion
deep into the muscle layers of the bladder or a
metastasis to the regional lymph nodes.
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Candidates for Bladder Tumor
Candidates for bladder tumor removal include
patients with the following symptoms:
The
following are other symptoms that may be related
with this disease:
-
Anemia
-
Bone
pain or tenderness
-
Lethargy
-
Loss
of weight
-
Pain
in the abdomen
-
Urinary incontinence
Although most of the symptoms mentioned can be
related to bladder cancer, they can also be
linked with conditions that are non-cancerous.
For that reason, it is imperative that medical
evaluation is thoroughly done.
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Your Consultation
The
appropriate treatment for this condition is
mainly based on what stage the tumor is
already. Other factors include the severity of
the symptoms and other medical conditions that
are present.
It is
important that a thorough physical examination
is performed. This includes both a rectal and a
pelvic exam.
The
following are diagnostic tests that may be
performed:
-
Cystoscopy which is making use of a lighted
instrument in order to view the inside of the
bladder
-
Intravenous pyelogram or IVP which is done in
order to evaluate the upper urinary tract for
tumors or blockage
-
Urinalysis
-
Urine cytology which is the microscopic exam
of urine in order to locate any cancerous cell
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The
Bladder Tumor Procedure
Treating bladder cancer is dependent on how deep
the tumor has invaded the bladder wall. Tumors
that do not enter the muscle layer or
superficial tumors may be "shaved" off by
utilizing an electrocautery device which is
attached to a cystoscope. Immunotherapy through
the use of BCG instillation is done in order to
treat and prevent recurrence of superficial
tumors. Studies show that at this stage, BCG
immunotherapy is effective in up to two-thirds
of this case. The instillation of chemotherapy
into the bladder may also be utilized in order
to treat superficial disease.
Superficial tumors that are not treated may
increasingly begin to penetrate the muscular
wall of the bladder. A radical surgery is needed
once the tumors have infiltrated the bladder. In
this kind of surgery, part or the entire bladder
is removed, also known as a cystectomy, and the
urinary stream is diverted. There are cases
wherein trained surgeons can generate a
substitute bladder or a neobladder from a
section of the intestinal tissue; however, this
mainly depends on the preference of the patient,
the patient's age, renal function, and the
location of the disease.
Radiation and chemotherapy combined may also be
used in order to treat invasive disease;
however, it is still unknown whether
radiotherapy or radical ablative surgery is the
better treatment.
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Recovery
Monitoring of the patient includes the
following:
-
Bone
scan and/or CT scan to check for metastatic.
-
Complete blood count or CBC in order to
observe for signs and symptoms of anemia
indicating that the disease has progressed.
-
Constant urine cytology evaluations for
patients whose bladders have not yet been
removed.
-
Cystoscope evaluation done every three to six
months after initial treatment. This is done
for patients with stage I disease.
-
Keep
an eye for other signs of disease
progression. Symptoms to look out for are
fatigue, increased pain, decreased bowel and
bladder function, weight loss, and weakness.
A
patient's recovery and how well one does mainly
depend on the specific stage of bladder cancer
and the form of treatment that is selected.
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Risks
When
the tumor is situated in a region of the body
where it compromises normal organ function, one
can expect complications to take place. When the
tumor is found to be malignant, there is the
possibility of complications if this spreads or
metastasizes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
What are the signs and symptoms of bladder
cancer?
A:
The main sign or cardinal sign of bladder cancer
is the presence of blood in the urine which is
painless. This happens in about two-thirds of
cases and is usually occurring throughout
urination. In one-third of the cases, blood can
only be seen through the microscope, known as
microscopic hematuria, or with a chemical
qualitative test. Urinary frequency and urgency
with diminished bladder capacity and pain are
the most common symptoms. On the other hand,
one must be aware of the fact that bladder
cancer may occur even without any symptoms or
presence of blood in the urine.
Q:
What are the different types of bladder tumors?
A:
The following are the different types of bladder
tumors:
1.
Bladder cancer
related with other diseases such as bladder
stones or diverticula
2.
Cancer
in situ
3.
Inverted papilloma
4.
Involvement of ureters, urethra, and renal
pelvis
5.
Metastatic cancer
to the bladder
6.
Non-papillary
carcinomas such as adenocarcinoma
Q:
Are all bladder tumors malignant?
A:
Not all bladder tumors are malignant but 90% of
them are.
Q: Is
it possible for children to have bladder tumors?
A:
The occurrence of bladder tumors in children is
very rare. They usually occur mainly in adults
in their 60s and beyond. Nevertheless, there
are cases of bladder tumors occurring in
individuals in their early 40s. Studies show
that bladder tumors are more frequent in men
than in women with a ratio of 2:1; however, due
to the increased smoking habits of women over
the last 30 years, this ratio may change. For
reasons that are unknown, black men and women
have a lower occurrence of bladder cancer than
white men and women.
Q:
How do you treat bladder tumors?
A:
Transurethral resection and intravesical
pharmacotherapy such as BCG may be used in order
to treat superficial bladder tumors. For
invasive or deep bladder tumors, surgical
removal and urinary diversion are utilized if
total bladder removal is required.
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The following list of Urology procedures are
performed at Beverly Hills Medical Group -
please click the links to find out more:
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