Treatment options for bladder cancer vary depending on the diagnosis and progression of the disease. In certain cases, we offer reconstructive bladder surgery, which involves creating new bladders for patients who have undergone radical cystectomy (the complete removal of the bladder). Depending on the situation, we may also be able to help maintain sexual function in men through nerve-sparing techniques.

Working with you and your doctor, we will design a bladder cancer treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.

Bladder Cancer Treatment options include:

Surgery

• Transurethral surgery – Typically used to treat early-stage bladder cancers, transurethral surgery involves a flexible optical tube (called a cystoscope) being inserted into the urethra to allow a physician’s surgical instruments to remove a superficial malignancy.
• Cystectomy – If the cancer has advanced to a later stage, it may be necessary to remove a portion of or the entire bladder in an operation that is known as a partial or radical cystectomy. The Urology Center at USC Norris Cancer Hospital specializes in bladder reconstruction for patients who have undergone this procedure.

Radiation Therapy

This technique involves the use of high-energy radiation to destroy cancer cells, either from an external source (via a linear accelerator) or from a capsule inserted directly into the tumor (brachytherapy). Radiation therapy can also be used to shrink a tumor prior to bladder surgery.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is sometimes recommended to slow the progress of cancer if it has spread (metastasized) from the bladder to other parts of the body.

• Early-stage bladder cancer can sometimes be treated by intravesical chemotherapy, which involves anti-cancer drugs being placed directly into the bladder via a catheter.
• We may also use a range of chemotherapeutic agents specifically for patients who have suffered kidney failure and have had a first course of chemotherapy or for those who have undergone cystectomy.
• In addition to utilizing traditional chemotherapy, we provide patients with the opportunity to access new chemotherapy protocols alone or in combination with standard therapy. We can often offer combinations of chemotherapy with surgery and radiation therapy for the treatment of bladder cancer.