Posted on 29th September, 2023 at 7:07:40 AM
Muscle invasive bladder cancer normally requires an aggressive treatment plan compared to superficial bladder cancer. Main treatment options are radical surgery or Radiotherapy
The most effective treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer is Radical Cystectomy. This process involves the surgical removal of the bladder and diverting the urinary stream using intestinal segments.
The procedure involves removal of the bladder, prostate, seminal vesicles, and the fatty tissue surrounding the bladder through an incision created in the abdomen. The lymph nodes in the pelvis are also removed in order to detect the presence of cancerous cells. This also helps in deciding further management measures post- surgery including the requirement for chemotherapy.
Radical cystectomy could be performed either through open surgery, laparoscopy, or with robotic assistance.After the removal of the bladder, the urine has to be diverted. This is done using any of the three urinary diversion methods namely; Ileal conduit, Orthotopic neobladder (where the patient passes urine from the normal passage) or Continent catheterizable pouch. All these methods use intestinal segments which are still attached to their blood supply but have been separated from the gastrointestinal tract
Radical cystectomy in combination with one of the three urinary diversion methods is the accepted and most effective treatment of muscle invasive bladder cancer and certain cases of high-grade superficial bladder cancer.
In certain cases Radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy is also considered as an options.
