Bladder Cancer Diagnosis & Treatment

If discovered in its early stages, bladder cancer may be treated with surgery. Transurethral resection of bladder tumor is often used to remove tumors that have developed inside the bladder. This procedure uses a probe sent up through the urethra into the bladder to burn the cancerous cells of the bladder wall. For smaller invasive cancers, doctors may suggest partial cystectomy, removing the cancerous portion of the bladder.

If bladder cancer advances deep into the bladder wall and cannot be treated with other surgical options, a full removal, or radical cystectomy, may be suggested. This procedure involves complete removal of the bladder, surrounding lymph nodes and internal reproductive organs. After these organs are removed, a surgeon must create a way to allow for urine expulsion from the body. There are numerous options for this, depending on the extent of the patient’s cancer and their health.

Other, less common treatments for bladder cancer include: immunotherapy (the stimulation of the immune system to fight harder against the cancer cells), chemotherapy (application of medicine for treatment of cancer) and radiation (the use of high-energy radiation to kill the cancer cells).

The Jackson Clinic Urologists offer services to patients all over West Tennessee and throughout the Mid-South including Paducah, Jonesboro, Memphis and Tupelo. Urology services are offered at the West Forest location.

To request an appointment, call 731.422.0213 or submit your request online.