Bladder Cancer

Diagnosing Bladder Cancer

How is Bladder Cancer Diagnosed 

If you are experiencing any symptoms that might suggest bladder cancer, your doctor will talk to you about your symptoms, likely followed by a thorough physical exam and bloodwork. Depending on the outcome of those tests, your doctor may refer you to a urologic specialist for other tests that may include:

• Blue Light/Fluorescence Cystoscopy – an enhanced form of cystoscopy using a light-activated drug that allows cancer cells to glow when a blue light is directed at them.
• Cystoscopy – doctor inserts a small, flexible camera equipped with a lens and light source through your urethra to examine the inside of your bladder to look for bladder tumors.
• Surgical biopsy – a tissue sample is taken from the tumor for testing
• Urine cytology – a urine sample is examined under high magnification to look for cancer cells.
• Imaging tests – may include CT, PET or MRI scans.

Treatment Options for Bladder Cancer

Treatment options for bladder cancer depend on many factors, including how advanced the cancer is when detected, your age and any other health issues you may have.

Advanced Surgical Treatments at Hoag

Hoag Family Cancer Institute’s bladder cancer team includes experienced, fellowship-trained urologic surgical oncologists who utilize the latest techniques in surgical management of bladder cancer.

Advanced surgical approaches for bladder cancer include:

• Minimally invasive laparoscopic robotic surgery using a DaVinci Robotics platform. Learn more about the benefits of Hoag’s DaVinci robotics program.
• Open or traditional surgery

Additional surgical procedures include:

• Local excision
• Transurethral resection (TUR) with fulguration
• Segmental or partial cystectomy
• Radical cystectomy
• Urinary diversion:
  • Ileal Conduit – Using an external pouch to collect urine through an abdominal opening called a stoma.
  • Indiana Pouch (also known as continent urinary reservoir, continent cutaneous pouch or continent cutaneous diversion) – Creation of an internal reservoir to collect urine which is then emptied using a catheter inserted through a stoma to drain urine from the neobladder.
  • Ileal Neobladder – Creation of an internal pouch which is connected to the urethra, allowing patients to pass urine through their urethra once urinary control is regained. Patients may have to self-catheterize to drain urine while regaining urinary control.

Non-Surgical Treatment Options

As a full-service cancer center, Hoag offers both inpatient and outpatient options to provide the full spectrum of therapeutic care and support. All outpatient services are located right here in Orange County.

Our non-surgical treatment options for bladder cancer include:

• Immunotherapy (including Cell Therapy)
  • Intravesical immunotherapy introduced directly into the bladder
  • Intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and other anti-cancer drug therapies
  • Systemic immunotherapy administered through a vein directly into blood stream
• Radiation Therapy
  • ViewRay MRIdian™ linear accelerator
• Chemotherapy (sometimes including cisplatin)
  • Intravesical chemotherapy with mitomycin or gemcitabine introduced directly into the bladder
  • Systemic chemotherapy administered through a vein directly into blood stream

Research & Clinical Trials for Bladder Cancer

Hoag is committed to leading the way in state-of-the-art technologies and advanced treatment options. Part of this commitment includes clinical research with the goal of helping patients live longer, healthier lives. Through carefully planned clinical trials, researchers evaluate the safety and effectiveness of new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent diseases or conditions. Treatments studied in clinical trials might be new drugs or new combinations of drugs, new surgical procedures or devices, or new ways to use existing treatments.

Find clinical trials for bladder cancer