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Bladder Cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, bladder cancer starts when cells that make up the urinary bladder start to grow out of control. As more cancer cells develop, they can form a tumor and, with time, spread to other parts of the body.

ACS states that Bladder cancer is the the fourth most common cancer in men, but it’s less common in women. Bladder cancer is more prominent in older individuals, with most cases being diagnosed past the age of 55 and the average age of diagnosis at 73. Almost half of all bladder cancers are found first in in the inner layer of the bladder wall, which makes them non-invasive. However, one third of diagnosis’s are found to have spread inter deeper layers within the bladder. While rare, some cases show spreading to nearby tissues or lymph nodes outside of the bladder.

At Northern Ohio Regional Cancer Center, we understand how hard it can be to choose the perfect team for the treatment of bladder cancer. It’s important to have the very latest treatment options with highly trained professionals in a comfortable and caring setting, close to your home. You deserve exceptional and compassionate care and Northern Ohio Regional Cancer Center will be an integral part of your journey to survivorship.

Possible side effects of bladder radiation therapy:

  • Skin changes in areas getting radiation, ranging from redness to blistering and peeling
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Bladder symptoms, like burning or pain when you urinate, feeling the need to go often, or blood in your urine
  • Diarrhea
  • Blood in stool and/or urine
  • Tiredness (fatigue)
  • Low blood counts, which can lead to fatigue, easy bruising or bleeding, or increased risk of infection
  • Fertility and sexual problems (erection issues in men and vaginal irritation in women)
HOW DO WE TREAT BLADDER CANCERS?

Radiation therapy uses beams of powerful energy, such as X-rays and protons, to destroy the cancer cells. Radiation therapy is sometimes combined with chemotherapy to treat bladder cancer in certain situations, such as when surgery isn’t an option or isn’t desired. Radiation therapy can be used as part of the treatment for some early-stage bladder cancers and after surgery that doesn’t remove the whole bladder (such as TURBT). It can also be used as the main treatment for people with earlier-stage cancers who can’t have surgery or chemotherapy or to try to avoid surgical removal of the bladder. Radiation can also be a part of the treatment for bladder cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. Treatments are scheduled Monday through Friday over the course of several weeks. In some cases, we can delivery higher doses of radiation in fewer treatments.

Your treatment is custom-tailored and unique to your diagnosis, tumor size, location and involvement. Your radiation oncologist (a doctor who specializes in treating cancer with radiation) will review all available treatment options and recommend a personalized plan for you based on national guidelines, which guide all cancer treatments. Radiation therapy is used either alone or in combination with other treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery.

Radiation can be delivered either from outside the body with a machine called a linear accelerator (external beam radiation) or from a radiation source implanted permanently or temporarily in the body (brachytherapy).

Benefits of Radiation Therapy:

  • Pain Free Treatment Delivery
  • Non-Invasive
  • Custom Tailored Treatment Plan
  • Little to No Side Effects
  • Immediate Return to Daily Activities
  • Minimal Radiation Exposure to Adjacent Healthy Tissue

Talk To A Team Member Today

We know you have a choice about where you get your cancer care but we hope you’ll choose us. Here are the top reasons why we believe Northern Ohio Regional Cancer Center is the best choice:

  • We use the most advanced therapies available.
  • Our doctor is specially trained and board certified. Meet Dr. Jon Prescott!
  • Our medical, technical and support staff are experts at what they do.
  • Our treatment plans follow national guidelines and are the same protocols as those used by the top academic cancer centers.
  • We work as a one team that is closely coordinated, with one focus.
  • We want everyone to feel like family.
  • We keep close tabs on your physical, mental and emotional well-being because we care about quality of life.
  • You get to stay close to home, surrounded by the love and support of your family and friends.