The bladder is a hollow organ in the lower abdomen (pelvis) that collects and stores urine produced by the kidneys.  When a bladder reaches capacity the bladder wall contracts and the spincter relaxes allowing urine to exit the body.

Cancer occurs when normal cells grow and multiply outside their normal limits.  A group of abnormal cells that cluster together are referred to as a tumor.  Tumors can invade tissue and surrounding organs.  A malignant tumor is one that travels to other organs via the blood stream or lymphatic system.

There are three basic types of Bladder Cancer:

Urothelial Carcinoma - cancer of the normal cells that form the inner most lining of the bladder.  This is the most common type of bladder cancer.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma - Thin flat cells of the bladder that become cancerous after years of bladder inflammation or irritation.

Adenocarcinoma - Cells that form glands that produce and release fluids such as mucous.

67,000 people develop bladder cancer annually.  More men that women are diagnosed with this disease.  Bladder cancer can develop at any age but is more often seen in people older than 50 years of age.  It is more prevalent in caucasians than in blacks, hispanics or asians.

Bladder Cancers are staged by how deeply it has invaded the bladder wall and graded by the degree of abnormal cell development.  The treatment plan is determined by the stage and grade of the disease.
The cause of bladder cancer is not known however several factors exist that increase the risk.  These are:

Smoking
Chemical exposure
Diet (large consumption of fried meats and other animal fats)
Aristolochia Fangchi (herbal supplement used in some weight loss products.   Scientific research has shown that this chemical caused cancer in lab rats.

Treatment:  Surgical removal of the tumor (cystectomy) and then follow up treatment will include immunotherapy/biological therapy of BCG or BCG and Interferon. These medicines are introduced into the bladder using cystoscopy.  The treatment is once a week for 6 weeks and then repeated at various times over the next several months or longer. This treatment is most frequently used in cancers staged and graded as Ta, T1 and CIS, which are the most common type.

Other treatments may include radiation and chemotherapy.

On-going care.  It is important that once diagnosed with bladder cancer that you maintain an ongoing relationship with your urologist.  After initial treatment you will see your physician for routine visits.  Some of these visits will include having a cystoscopy to check for cancer reoccurrence and lab work.  You may have imaging of the chest and abdomen.  Additonally we recommend a nutritional evaluation with our naturopathic physician and if necessary smoking cessation therapy.