WHAT IS BLADDER CANCER?
It is the uncontrolled proliferation of cells lining the inside of the bladder, that is, the part that comes into contact with urine.
What are the symptoms of bladder cancer?
It can cause blood and clots to come out with urine without pain. If it causes a blockage in the channel where the kidneys open into the bladder, it can cause pain similar to kidney stones.
Is bladder cancer a common disease?
Bladder cancer is the 4th most common cancer in men. 7.9% of cancers diagnosed in Turkey in 2020 were bladder cancer.
How is bladder cancer treated?
The first treatment is to remove the tumor by scraping it with the help of a camera (cystoscopy) and sending it to pathology. The pathology report determines the path to be followed after this surgery. If the cancer has spread to the deep layers of the bladder or not, but if it is a type with a high probability of progression, the bladder may need to be completely removed with a second surgery. If the cancer has not spread to the deep layers of the bladder, the first surgery will be sufficient; however, if there is a potential for progression, BCG is administered into the bladder once a week for 6 weeks 2-3 weeks after the first surgery. In order to prevent recurrence, this treatment is continued for 3 weeks every 3 months for a year or 3 years, with the decision being made considering the potential for progression of the disease.
Mitomycin can be used in patients who cannot tolerate BCG treatment into the bladder.
How are patients with bladder cancer monitored?
In patients whose bladders have not been removed, recurrence monitoring is done by evaluating the bladder at certain intervals with a camera (cystoscopy).
How is the patient’s urine output provided if bladder removal is necessary?
After the bladder is removed, two methods can be used to remove urine from the body. In the first method, a longer piece of the small intestine is removed and this piece is given a sphere shape. The upper part of the sphere is sewn to the urinary tract, and the lower part of the sphere is sewn to the lower urinary tract, allowing the patient to urinate through their own urinary tract.
In the second method, the urinary tracts coming out of the kidneys are connected to a short piece of the small intestine, and the other end of the removed intestine is sewn to the abdominal skin. The urine coming from the intestine sewn to the abdominal skin is collected in a watertight bag attached to the skin. This bag is changed every day.
