Bladder Cancer Treatment

Question: Is brachytherapy using iodine 125 a good treatment for bladder cancer?

Answer: I have never heard of it being used for this before, but if that is what your oncologist is recommending, then you should be asking them.

Question: In reference to treatment of Bladder cancer? I had a tumor removed from the bladder and I am undergoing BCG treatment as a followup. Has anybody had any experience with this and do you know the prognosis. I have had 2 of the 6 treatments and they are not as bad as I thought they would be. Thanks for any info..

Answer: SassyDude- BCG is the most studied and most commonly prescribed immunotherapeutic agent for use in bladder cancer treatment. Bacillus Calmette-Guerin has been in use since the 1980's, and is the most proven and effective form of immunotherapy at this point in time. Immunotherapy has a mechanism of action different from that of chemotherapy. It uses materials made by your own body or made in a laboratory to boost, direct, or restore your body's natural defenses against disease. Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), which is an inactivated form of the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is given both intravesically mixed in a saline solution and instilled directly into the bladder via a catheter, as well as in the form of a percutaneous vaccine. Although it is not yet totally understood why BCG and other immunotherapies work against cancer, they are thought to elicit an immune response. BCG has resulted in complete tumor regression in one half or more of treated patients with papillary tumors, and in more than 70% of those with CIS (localized cancer-in-situ). Controlled studies have demonstrated a significant reduction in tumor recurrence, protection from which has been observed to persist for 5 years or more. Studies have also shown statistically significant reductions in the rate of disease progression and a significant reduction in the mortality rate, after treatment with BCG immunotherapy BCG is usually reserved for higher grade tumors or recurrences, while solitary, superficial papillary tumors are most often treated (if treated at all) with an intravesical (inside bladder) chemo as first line of attack. Once a tumor has shown signs of muscle invasion (T2), BCG is no longer considered a viable option. Though side effects vary with the individual, the great majority of people find BCG treatments tolerable with side effects being temporay, and some have no adverse reactions at all. Dysuria (pain or difficulty upon urination) and urinary frequency are expected as a consequence of the inflammatory response, and cystitis is the most frequent adverse reaction-occurring in up to 90% of cases. Blood in the urine may occur with cystitis and is seen in one-third of patients. Irritative bladder symptoms are unlikely in the week after the first intravesical BCG. Side effects of BCG are cumulatory, and generally increase with successive treatments.6 Some people complain of flu like symptoms including fatigue, joint pain and muscle ache. Men having this treatment can pass on BCG during sex. To protect your partner from coming into contact with BCG, you should not have sex for 48 hours after each treatment. Use a condom if you have sex at other times during the six weeks of treatment. You should also use a condom for sex for six weeks after treatment has ended. Good luck. Keep a positive outlook and continue to live life.

Question: Advanced Gall Bladder cancer treatment? Is there anyway to treat advanced gall bladder cancer except chemotherapy?

Answer: Gallbladder Cancer Center Cancer of the gallbladder, a rare form of cancer, is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells are found in the tissues of the gallbladder. The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ that lies just under the liver in the upper abdomen. Bile, a fluid made by the liver that helps to digest fat, is stored in the gallbladder. The gallbladder is actually and extension of the bile duct that carries bile from the liver to the intestine. Cancer of the gallbladder is three times more common in women than in men. It is also more common in people who have hard clusters of material in their gallbladder called gallstones. Gallbladder cancer is hard to diagnose because that organ is hidden behind others organs in the upper abdomen. It is sometimes found after the gallbladder is removed for other reasons. http://www.cancercenter.com/gallbladder-cancer.cfm

Question: My 82 year old father recently had BCG treatment for bladder cancer. He is now experiencing trouble urinating He feels like he has to go but can't. He feels pressure and it occasionally burns when he tries to go. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks.

Answer: CubFanJo, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), which is an inactivated form of the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is given both intravesically mixed in a saline solution and instilled directly into the bladder via a catheter, as well as in the form of a percutaneous vaccine. Although it is not yet totally understood why BCG and other immunotherapies work against cancer, they are thought to elicit an immune response. Symptoms of bladder cancer can include - Blood in the urine - Frequent urination, or feeling the need to urinate without being able to do so - Pain during urination. There are many methods of dealing with this. The various treatments range from pain relief tablets to Lumbar sympathetic block. These matters are usually decided by the doctor and the patient together, and depending on the severity of the pain and difficulty in passing urine. It is an unfortunate fact that bladder cancer has a very high rate of recurrence. Even after superficial tumours are completely removed, there is a 75% chance that new tumours will develop in other areas of the bladder. Hence, patients need very frequent and thorough follow-up care. Hope this helps Matador 89

Question: What is the longest a man could live with bladder cancer on auto-immune treatment alone ? Without being ill ?

Answer: everybodys system is different, and the cancer grows at a different rate in each person, so there is no way of predicting that. also, sometimes in some people the cancer just stops growing, and even the doctors don't know why. i think its God helping out. i hope all goes well for you. God bless.

Question: Can you tell me how serious bladder cancer is? I just learned my uncle had a MRI done because blood was coming out with his urine. They said "do not count cancer out" now he and I am worried about it. Just finished breast cancer treatment with my wife and know nothing about bladder cancer. Any help would be appreciated.

Answer: Blood in the urine from a malignancy could be caused by a couple things: bladder cancer or kidney cancer (usually RCC or renal cell carcinoma). For the bladder--if it is muscle invasive (that is the cancer is penetrating into the muscle of the bladder) then surgery to remove the entire bladder is the usual treatment. Chemotherapy may or may not be used. If it is non-invasive--what is called CIS (carcinoma in-situ) then usually the tumor is removed as much as possible (a maximal TURBT--transurethral resection of bladder tumor). Usually following this procedure the bladder is instilled with a chemical (BCG) to decrease the likelihood of recurrence. CIS is definitely curable and has high rates of survival (95%). Muscle invasive bladder cancer is a bit more grim--in general 50-80% of patients are alive at 5 years. For RCC--surgery is the primary treatment (removal of entire kidney). Depending on the stage chemotherapy or immunotherapy can also be used. Blood in the urine could also be benign--infection, kidney stones, side effect from drugs, etc.

Question: treatment of bladder cancer while pregnant? need to know if you can carry a baby if you have been diagnosed with bladder cancer and been surgecally treated

Answer: Please ask your doctor. This issue is too important to look for opinions here.

Question: Do you know the cost of B.C.G treatment for Bladder Cancer ?? ? We live in the Chicago area. We are reviewing a few health insurance policies and if we knew the approximate cost, it would help determine which plan is best.

Answer: There are no set fees as each doctor’s office decides what their fees will be. You can call different urologists in you area and ask what the charges will be, but it will probably have little relevance unless you are already planning on going out of network. Personally I wouldn’t use this as criteria to determine the best policy.

Question: I reference to treatment of the bladder? Has anybody undergone treatment for bladder cancer that involved BCG. it is a treatment where they put stuff in your bladder thru your penis once a week for 6 weeks. I start tomorrow and i am curious.

Answer: Not me. I wish you luck and a speedy recovery.

Question: my husband cant pee properly why could this be he is being treated for bladder cancer at he moment.? my husband has been having laser treatment for bladder cancer, he is finding it really hard to pee and has to sit there straining to pee, we have asked his doctor and they dont know why he cant pee properly. he also is a failing renal kidney patient would this have anything to do with it?

Answer: I have had this problem in a very big way with treatment for my prostate cancer. I assume he is seeing a urologist and has tried Flomax as I have. The problems he is having are most certainly related to his kidney/bladder problems and my heart goes out to you both. It is a painful and frustrating condition. I also had the laser treatment and it was either that or the radiation I had that did the damage to me. I wish I had better news for you but in my case the damage seems to have been irreversible. I now have a permanent "supra-pubic catheter" in order to drain my bladder. There is a very real danger of fluid retention called edema which can cause very serious consequences. In my case, my weight went from approximately 230 to over 300 pounds and I developed deep vein thrombosis (DVT) with a blood clot getting loose and traveling to my lung. It nearly killed me. I made the mistake, a very bad one, by staying with the same urologist that caused all this damage too long. If your husband hasn't done so already, I strongly recommend his getting a second or even third opinion. You can e-mail me using my profile if you think I can answer any other questions. All my sympathetic best wishes to you.

Question: is BCG treatment better than chemo for bladder cancer? and in which way also would a one off treatment be enough to kill all the germs

Answer: I just received my first BCG treatment for bladder cancer yesterday, which is supposed to last for 6 weeks. They gave me a schedule for my next 5 treatments, and I noticed that they skipped two weeks in the middle, then started them again. They mentioned that the doctor would be on vacation or something to that effect. I'm wondering just how important it is to receive these treatments each consecutive week, or is it that important? The nurse didn't think it really mattered when I asked about this. Also, I'm wondering about having sex during this treatment period, whether we should abstain or not http://boards.webmd.com/webx?THDX@@.897e463e!thdchild=.897e463e

Question: What are the newest treatments being tested for bladder cancer? I am not referring to standard treaments like BCG and IL-2 but to experimental drugs or viruses being tested or that are being considered for testing in the future?

Answer: Try this site... "Bladder Cancer Webcafe" http://www.blcwebcafe.org

Question: How bad is Bladder Cancer for an 84 year old woman? My Grandma has be diagnosed with Bladder Cancer at age 84. The Doctor told her that it is somewhat aggressive. She has to go for treatment every Friday for the next six weeks. Is Bladder Cancer something that you can die from easily? I am scared that she won't be around much longer. Any advise is great thanks. They are going to inject a bacteria into her bladder and that's it. No chemo. She does smoke and drink. She won'y quit smoking, she's done it for years.

Answer: "Joseph F" is right. But if you truly want the details for predicting her prognosis, you must know the stage and grade of her bladder carcinoma. Your grandma can get this information from her doctor if she wants you to have it. (patient confidentiality rules - it's her choice) When you know the stage and grade of her disease, you can look it up online via the NCI or ask us here on YA. There are a number of cancer specialty doctors and other very knowledgeable medical people on this site.

Question: Treatment for cancer? My relative has bladder cancer. it has spread out of the bladder. He is in a very weak state, too weak for chemotherapy or surgery. Any suggestions on a possible treatment for bladder cancer thats already spread?

Answer: The three main treatments for bladder cancer are: removal of the tumors (not an inpatient surgery usually unless there are other medical problems), chemotherapy (not the typical kind. This is instilled through a catheter into the bladder) with BCG or Mitomycin C, or removal of the bladder. However, if it has spread (usually to bone, or prostate if a male), the patient could benefit from palliative radiation (not a cure). This will make the patient more comfortable. This usually has good results.

Question: Is BCG the best form of treatment for a 70 yr old male recently dignosed with superficial bladder cancer?

Answer: Try checking the American Cancer Society's web site. They have a lot of information to offer. Also info on clinical trials, types of cancers, etc. Good luck to you.

Question: For anybody that was diagnosed with Bladder Cancer? I had a Tumor in bladder. They cut it out. They gave me BHG treatments. Today at 3 months I am cancer free for now. Is there anybody that would like to know about this??

Answer: When u found out u had cancer did u had a bump around ur stomach?