Bladder preservation lets you keep your bladder, which can improve your quality of life. This approach combines less invasive surgery with radiation and low-dose chemotherapy. First, your doctor removes the tumor. Then, you receive radiation and chemotherapy to kill any remaining cancer cells. This treatment can work as well as bladder removal.
Bladder removal surgery, or cystectomy, takes out part or all of the bladder to stop cancer from spreading. Ask if your surgeon will use Cone Health’s robotic technology at Alamance Regional Medical Center in Burlington or Annie Penn Hospital in Reidsville. It makes surgery less invasive, leading to a faster recovery and less post-op pain. No matter what technology your surgeon uses, we’ll help make your recovery as easy as possible.
If you receive a cystectomy, your care team will create a urostomy—an opening for urine to leave your body into a custom-fitted pouch. Count on the certified ostomy and continence nurses at Cone Health to teach you how to take good care of yourself and your ostomy.
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Your doctor may recommend:
- Neoadjuvant chemotherapy before surgery to shrink tumors so they’re easier to remove
- Adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells that remain
In either case, you’ll benefit from Cone Health’s private chemotherapy suites. They have amenities to make treatment sessions more comfortable.
Immunotherapy uses the power of your own immune system to fight cancer. The most common type doctors use for bladder cancer is Bacillus Calmette-Guerin. It’s a weakened bacteria placed in your bladder through a catheter (thin tube). It works by activating your immune system to attack cancer cells.
Intravesical therapy treats cancer by putting medicine directly into your bladder. Your doctor may use it after surgery or as the main treatment for cancer that hasn’t spread. During the procedure, your doctor gently places a catheter (small tube) into your bladder to deliver the medicine. The drug works on the bladder lining to kill cancer cells, stop them from growing, and prevent them from returning.
TURBT is a common procedure to help diagnose and treat bladder tumors. During this surgery, your doctor places a thin tool through your urethra (the tube where urine leaves your body). The tool removes unusual tissue from your bladder. This helps your care team find out if you have bladder cancer and remove tumors.
Your most promising treatment options could be in clinical trials at Cone Health. These studies give you access to new therapies before they’re widely available. You don’t have to travel far for the latest advances in care because we bring them to you in Guilford, Alamance, Randolph, and Rockingham counties. If you’re interested in a trial, one of our research nurses will guide you from start to finish.
