BLADDER CANCER

The bladder is a hollow flexible pouch in the pelvis which stores urine, when the cells inside of it grow out of control and spread to nearby fat and tissue is called bladder cancer.

Causes
The actual cause is unknown but several things increase the risk of bladder cancer such as genetic makeup, family history, smoking, chronic bladder inflammation, working with harmful chemical or prior chemo or radiation therapy to pelvis area.

Symptoms
Blood in the urine, painful urination, pelvic and back pain with frequent urination, weight loss, swollen feet, and tiredness are the symptoms of bladder cancer

Diagnosis

Cystoscopy
By inserting a small narrow tube called cystoscope through the urethra to examine the structure of the bladder.

Biopsy
During cystoscopy the urologist will pass special tool to collect the sample for testing.

Imaging studies – such as CT, MRI, bone scans are performed to know the extent of the disease or any spread to lymphnodes or other areas.

Non Surgical Treatment

For some alternative options can be used to destroy small tumour’s without surgery such as-

Cryoablation:
Killing cancer cell by cooling them down, usually done by inserting a hollow needle into the kidney through the skin and injecting cold gas.

Radio Frequency Ablation:
Killing the tumor cells by using electricity by using a special probe inserted through the skin in to the kidney. An electric current is run through and causing the cells to heat up or burn.

Management

It can be treated by chemotherapy, radiation, and immuno therapy for certain bladder cancers.

Surgical Management-

TURBT( Transurethralresection of Bladder Tumor)
This procedure is performed under general anesthesia to remove the cancerous cells confined to the inner layer of the bladder. In this procedure, the surgeon inserts a wire loop through a cystoscope inserted via the urethra this wire burns away cancerous cells using electric current or high energy laser. The urologist may also inject a chemotherapy medicine into the bladder to destroy any remaining cancer cells.

Cystectomy
Surgery to remove all or part of a bladder containing cancerous tumor.

Laparoscopic Radical / Total Cystectomy
In the operation the entire bladder, parts of the ureter and surrounding lymphnodes are removed laparoscopically by making a small incision on the abdominalwall.in males parts of prostate and seminal vesicles are removed in females uterus, ovaries and parts of the vagina are removed.

Laparoscopic Partial Cystectomy
If the cancer is limited to one area of bladder partial cystectomy can be performed laparoscopically by removing the portion of bladder affected with the tumor.