Bladder Cancer Prognosis - Stage by Stage

The bladder is basically a bag that holds the urine until such time the urine can be emptied. It is made of many cell layers, where the inner layer (bladder lining) expands and contracts as the bladder either fills or empties. Like most other organs in the body, the bladder is susceptible to developing cancer.
Symptoms - The early signs of bladder cancer can easily be missed due to being similar to those of other cancers, where symptoms of urinary tract infections, pelvic discomfort, and back pains are quite common. Another symptom may include a painless hematuria (blood in the urine), although blood in the urine does not always mean cancer is present.
Diagnosis - Routine tests are usually carried out, such as: physical examinations, urinalysis; also known as routine and microscopy (R&M) which are an array of tests preformed on the urine, computerized axial tomography (CAT) scans, magnet resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and intravenous pyelogram ([IVP] an X-ray of the urinary tract) tests. The CAT scan and IVP scan provide vital information about the size and position of the tumor, where as the MRI scan gives an indication as to whether the cancer has metastasized, either to regional (nearby) or distant organs.
Tests/Biopsy - Sometimes there may exist questionable cells during the diagnosis process which need a closer look at, and where more invasive procedures may need to be used. These may include either a cystoscopy, where a thin tube is inserted through the urethra that allows for a doctor to look inside the bladder, or a urine cytology, which allows for the cells in the urine that have been shed from the bladder to be examined for possible cancer, as well as looking for tumor indicators, or tumors that may also be found in the urine. While the cystoscopy is being used, a small tissue sample may also be taken for laboratory examination.
Prognosis Stages
Stage 0 - Cancerous cells are contained within the bladder lining where the tumor is still small, and has not yet affected any regional organs. Survival rate is high at around 80 - 90%.
Stage I - The tumor has begun to show signs of metastasis (spread) to other tissues. Survival rate is still high at around 70 - 80%, however if not treated soon will soon become stage II.
Stage II - The tumor has metastasized (spread) through the connective tissue and into the muscle lining, although no metastasis has taken place outside this area. Survival rate has now dropped to around 60%.
Stage III - The tumor has metastasized through the connective tissue and muscle, and into the tissue outside the bladder, and/or the prostate gland (male), and/or the uterus/vagina (female), although no metastasis has occurred in the lymph nodes. Classed as deep or invasive bladder cancer where the survival rate has dropped considerable from that of stage II.
Stage IV - The tumor has metastasized through the bladder lining and into the pelvis, and/or the abdominal wall, and/or the lymph nodes, and/or any distant organs. Classed as metastatic bladder cancer, where little hope of curing it can be expected.

Philip Albert Edmonds-Hunt was born in the County of Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom. A well travelled man who today lives in Mexico with his family. He works as a Freelance Writer, Researcher and English Teacher, spending much of his time researching and writing about cancer with the hope that his writings may benefit other cancer sufferers. If you feel that you have benefited from reading one of his articles; please recommend them to other cancer sufferers who may also benefit. If you are interested in reading more about cancer, check out:
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Treatment Options for Prostate Cancer

Prostate-related Cancer Cure
Effective prostate cancer treatment depends on several factors. Depending on how advanced the cancer is or how quickly it is spreading, your treatment options could range from simply monitoring the problem to undergoing aggressive radiation treatment.
Each treatment has its advantages and disadvantages, and what proves effective for one cancer patient may not work at all for someone else. As always, it's best for anybody who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer to find a treatment that works best for them, something that may be easier said than done.
Monitoring the Cancer
Some men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer may not need immediate treatment, or in fact any treatment at all. Benign prostate tumors can develop, and when they do many doctors recommend watchful waiting or active surveillance. This involves monitoring the lump through blood tests, rectal examinations or biopsies. This is frequently an option for prostate cancer that has yet to spread or could never spread out, but it is additionally utilized for men that have other health and wellness disorders that could be intensified by the negative effects of more vigorous cancer procedures.
Radiation Therapy
If a patient's prostate cancer is indeed spreading, it will require some form of treatment. One option for prostate cancer treatment that has proven effective for many patients is radiation therapy. Radiation therapy entails using high-powered radiation to kill cancer cells and it can be delivered to the person's physical body in either methods. The very first is external beam radiation during which the sick person lays down on a desk while a device points high-powered energy beams to the prostate-related cancer. The other form of radiation therapy is delivered through a process called brachytherapy. In brachytherapy, rice-sized radioactive seeds are implanted into the prostate tissue using an ultrasound-guided needle. Because the seeds eventually decay and stop giving off radiation, they don't need to be removed.
Some of the side effects of radiation therapy include painful or frequent urination, loose stools and erectile dysfunction. There is also the little opportunity that the radiation can create cancer cells in the anus, bladder or various other parts of the physique.
Hormone Therapy
Another option for treating prostate cancer involves using therapy to stop the body's production of testosterone. Because prostate cancer cells need testosterone to increase, reducing off their supply of androgen hormone or testosterone can frequently be an effective therapy for prostate cancer. This type of treatment is often used for advanced cases of prostate cancer to shrink tumors and slow down their growth or in early stages of the disease as a preparation for radiation therapy.
Hormone therapy typically involves the use of drugs to either stop the patient's testicles from producing testosterone or prevent testosterone from reaching the cancerous cells. In extreme cases, the testicles can be surgically removed in a procedure called an orchiectomy. This lowers the patient's testosterone levels much more quickly than most medications.
Some of the side effects of hormone therapy include erectile dysfunction, loss of bone mass, hot flashes, weight gain and a reduced sex drive. It may likewise boost the threat of heart problem and cardiovascular disease.
Surgery
Prostate cancer can also be treated through the surgical removal of the prostate and the surrounding tissue. This is a very invasive procedure that can be performed in a number of different ways. Your doctor will be able to help you decide what method is best for you should you require this treatment. Adverse effects could consist of urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction.
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