Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Urinary bladder cancer ‘curable’
By Linette C. Ramos
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
URINARY bladder tumor or cancer is easier to remove and treat, respectively, compared to other types of cancer, and patients have high chances of recovery after operation, experts said.
But like other cancer types, treatment of and recovery from bladder cancer will depend on the stage it was diagnosed.
Dr. Dennis Tudtud, an oncologist, said that urinary bladder cancer is curable and compared to kidney and liver cancer, it is easier to treat. It is also less aggressive compared to other forms of cancer.
Not all tumors, however, are cancerous, and can just be a result of tuberculosis of the bladder or chronic infection.
The National Cancer Institute of the United States National Institutes of Health describes bladder cancer as a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the bladder.
In its website, the institute lists smoking, diet and gender as factors that affect the risks of developing urinary bladder cancer. Its symptoms include blood in the urine and pain or discomfort during urination.
In separate interviews yesterday, urologists and an oncologist said there are many options for treatment, depending on the stage of the cancer and the extent of damage caused to the bladder, and other organs, if any.
“Generally, urinary bladder tumor is easier to remove. Although the bladder functions as a receptacle for urine, it can be dispensed with. It’s a messy procedure but, relatively, it’s easier to remove and there are drugs to cure it,” Tudtud, who is part of the Cancer Care Network of Cebu, explained to Sun.Star Cebu.
He said, though, that if the cancer has spread to other vital organs or the tumor is located in a critical area that blocks the passage of urine, therefore damaging the kidneys, prognosis or chances of recovery may not be as favorable.
Among the causes of tumors in the bladder are smoking and drinking for a long period, as these result to irritants or carcinogens collecting in the bladder.
“Smoking is one of the causes, mainly because of the nicotine. A lot of smoking byproducts settle in the bladder, which causes tumor growth. It can also be caused by an infection, but it’s mostly irritants or carcinogens that settle in the bladder, which can also result from drinking. But once the tumor is removed, it can be treated,”
Tudtud added.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña was diagnosed as having a mass in his urinary bladder that his doctors suspect could be cancerous.
In his news conference yesterday, he would not comment on the results of a biopsy, but said that he will leave for the United States on Wednesday to get second opinion.
A urologist, who requested anonymity, said that urinary bladder cancer is curable and can be operated on and there is a high chance of recovery, especially if it was detected at its early stage.
Several types of operations and treatment options are also available, depending on the type and location of the tumor, and the stage of the cancer.
Bladder cancer that is confined to the lining of the bladder is called superficial bladder cancer.
Invasive bladder cancer, on the other hand, is one that has spread through the lining of the bladder and invaded the muscle wall of the bladder or other organs.
The urologist said that intravesical chemotherapy is an option for superficial cancer, where medicines or chemicals are supplied to the bladder itself, and not injected into the blood vessels.
“In some cases, we can remove a portion of the tumor and have a biopsy for it or remove everything. But if there is already a massive invasion of the tumor, and it is high-grade and widespread, then we can remove the entire bladder and replace it using a segment of the bowel,” he explained.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (October 7, 2008 issue)
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