Definition

Bladder cancer is a disease in which the cells lining the urinary bladder lose the ability to regulate their growth and start dividing uncontrollably. This abnormal growth results in a mass of cells that form a tumor.

Description

Bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the United States. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that in 1998, approximately 55,000 new cases of bladder cancer will be diagnosed, and it will cause at least 12,500 deaths. The disease is three times more common among men than women, and the incidence is also higher in Caucasians.

The urinary bladder is a hollow muscular organ that stores urine from the kidneys until it is excreted out of the body. Two tubes called the ureters bring the urine from the kidneys to the bladder. The urethra carries the urine from the bladder to the outside of the body.

Bladder cancer has a very high rate of recurrence. Even after superficial tumors are completely removed, there is a 75% chance that new tumors will develop in other areas of the bladder. Hence, patients need very frequent and thorough follow-up care.

Causes & symptoms

Although the exact cause of bladder cancer is not known, smokers are twice as likely to get the disease as nonsmokers are. Hence, smoking is considered the greatest risk factor for bladder cancer. Workers who are exposed to certain chemicals that are used in the dye industry and in the rubber, leather, textile, and paint industries are believed to be at a higher risk for bladder cancer. The disease is also three times more common in men than in women; Caucasians also are at an increased risk. The risk of bladder cancer increases with age. Most cases are found in people who are 50–70 years old.

Frequent urinary infections, kidney and bladder stones, and other conditions that cause long-term irritation to the bladder may increase the risk of getting bladder cancer. A past history of tumors in the bladder could also increase one's risk of getting other tumors.

One of the first warning signals of bladder cancer is blood in the urine. Sometimes, there is enough blood in the urine to change the color of the urine to a yellow-red or a dark red. At other times, the color of the urine appears normal but chemical testing of the urine reveals the presence of blood cells. A change in bladder habits such as painful urination, increased frequency of urination and a feeling of needing to urinate but not being able to do so are some of the signs of possible bladder cancer. All of these symptoms may also be caused by conditions other than cancer, but it is important to see a doctor and have the symptoms evaluated. When detected early and treated appropriately, patients have a very good chance of being cured completely.

Diagnosis

If a doctor has any reason to suspect bladder cancer, he may use several tests to find out if the disease is present. As a first step, a complete medical history will be taken to check for any risk factors. A thorough physical examination will be conducted to assess all the signs and symptoms. Laboratory testing of a urine sample will help to rule out the presence of a bacterial infection. In a urine cytology test, the urine is examined under a microscope to look for any abnormal or cancerous cells. A catheter (tube) can be advanced into the bladder through the urethra, and a salt solution is passed through it to wash the bladder. The solution can then be collected and examined under a microscope to check for the presence of any cancerous cells.

A test known as the intravenous pyelogram (IVP) is an x ray examination that is done after a dye is injected into the blood stream through a vein in the arm. The dye travels through the blood stream and then reaches the kidneys to be excreted. It clearly outlines the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Multiple x rays are taken to detect any abnormality in the lining of these organs.

The physician may use a procedure known as a cystoscopy to view the inside of the bladder. A thin hollow lighted tube is introduced into the bladder through the urethra. If any suspicious looking masses are seen, a small piece of the tissue can be removed from it using a pair of biopsy forceps. The tissue is then examined microscopically to verify if cancer is present, and if so, to identify the type of cancer.

If cancer is detected and there is evidence to indicate that it has metastasized to distant sites in the body, imaging tests such as chest x rays, computed tomography scans (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be done to determine which organs are affected. Bladder cancer generally tends to spread to the lungs, liver, and bone.

Treatment

Treatment for bladder cancer depends on the stage of the tumor. The patient's medical history, overall health status, and personal preferences are also taken into account when deciding on an appropriate treatment plan. The three standard modes of treatment that are available for bladder cancer are surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. In addition, newer treatment methods such as photodynamic therapy and immunotherapy are also being investigated in clinical trials.

Surgery is considered an option only when the disease is in its early stages. If the tumor is localized to a small area and has not spread to the inner layers of the bladder, then the surgery is done without cutting open the abdomen. A cytoscope is introduced into the bladder through the urethra, and the tumor is removed through it. This procedure is called a transurethral resection (TUR). Passing a high-energy laser beam through the cytoscope and burning the cancer may treat any remaining cancer. This procedure is known as electrofulguration. If the cancer has invaded the walls of the bladder, surgery will be done through an incision in the abdomen. Cancer that is not very large can be removed by partial cystectomy, a procedure where a part of the bladder is removed. If the cancer is large or is present in more than one area of the bladder, a radical cystectomy is done. In this operation, besides the entire bladder, the adjoining organs may also be removed. In men, the prostate is removed, while in women, the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes are removed.

If the entire urinary bladder is removed, then an alternate storage place must be created for the urine to be stored before it is excreted out of the body. To do this, a piece of intestine is converted into a small bag and attached to the ureters. This is then connected to an opening (stoma) that is made in the abdominal wall. The procedure is called a urostomy. In some urostomy procedures, the urine from the intestinal sac is routed into a bag that is placed over the stoma in the abdominal wall. The bag is hidden by the clothing and has to be emptied occasionally by the patient. In a different procedure, the urine is collected in the intestinal sac, but there is no bag on the outside of the abdomen. The intestinal sac has to be emptied by the patient, by placing a drainage tube through the stoma.

Radiation therapy that uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells is generally used after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells that may not have been removed during surgery. If the tumor is in a location that makes surgery difficult, or if it is large, radiation may be used before surgery to shrink the tumor. In cases of advanced bladder cancer, radiation therapy is used to ease the symptoms such as pain, bleeding, or blockage. Radiation can be delivered by external beam radiation where a source of radiation that is outside the body focuses the radiation on the area of the tumor. Occasionally, a small pellet of radioactive material may be placed directly into the cancer. This is known as interstitial radiation therapy.

Chemotherapy uses anticancer drugs to destroy the cancer cells that may have migrated to distant sites. The drugs are introduced into the bloodstream by injecting them into a vein in the arm or taking them orally in pill form. Generally a combination of drugs is more effective than any single drug in treating bladder cancer. Chemotherapy may be given following surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells. It may also be given even when no remaining cancer cells can be seen. This is called adjuvant chemotherapy. Anticancer drugs, including thiotepa, doxorubicin, and mitomycin, may also be instilled directly into the bladder (intravesicular chemotherapy) to treat superficial tumors.

Immunotherapy or biological therapy, uses the body's own immune cells to fight the disease. To treat superficial bladder cancer, bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) may be instilled directly into the bladder. BCG is a weakened (attenuated) strain of the tuberculosis bacillus that stimulates the body's immune system to fight the cancer. This therapy has been shown to be effective in controlling superficial bladder cancer.

Photodynamic treatment is a novel mode of treatment that uses special chemicals and light to kill the cancerous cells. First, a drug is introduced into the bladder that makes the cancer cells more susceptible to light. Following that, a special light is shone on the bladder in an attempt to destroy the cancerous cells.

Prognosis

When detected at the early stages, the prognosis for bladder cancer is excellent. At least 94% of the people survive 5 years or more after initial diagnosis. However, if the disease has spread to the nearby tissues, the survival rates drop to 49%. If it has metastasized to distant organs such as the lung, and the liver, only 6% of the patients will survive five years or more.

Prevention

Since we do not know what exactly causes bladder cancer, there is no certain way to prevent it. Avoiding risk factors whenever possible is the best alternative.

Since smoking doubles one's risk of getting bladder cancer, avoiding tobacco may prevent at least half the deaths that result from bladder cancer. Taking appropriate safety precautions when working with organic cancer-causing chemicals is another way of preventing the disease.

If a person has had a history of bladder cancer, or has been exposed to cancer-causing chemicals, then he or she is considered to be at an increased risk of getting bladder cancer. Similarly, kidney stones, frequent urinary infections, and other conditions that cause long-term irritation to the bladder also increases the chance of getting the disease. In such cases, it is advisable to undergo regularscreening tests such as urine cytology, cystoscopy and x rays of the urinary tract, so that bladder cancer can be detected at its early stages and treated appropriately.