Bladder Cancer
Overview
- Fourth most common cancer among men.
- Ninth most common cancer among women.
- More than 50,000 new cases of bladder cancer are detected each year.
- Can be treated without major surgery.
- Early detection is vital.
- The earliest clue of a bladder tumor is blood in the urine.
Detecting bladder cancer
- Intravenous Pyelogram (IVP) is a test that allows the urologist to see images of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder.
- Cystoscopy allows the urologist to view the lining of the bladder and remove tissue samples for biopsy.
- Urinary cytology is where the urine is viewed under a microscope to search for cancer cells.
Treatment of bladder cancer
- Superficial: located in the bladder lining (epithelium), treated with tumor removal; medication in bladder.
- Invasive: cancer in the epithelium and extending into deeper layers; treated with removal of the bladder, chemotherapy. Radiation therapy is more frequently used in Europe than in the U.S.
- Metastatic (cancer has spread): Spreading beyond the bladder (lymph nodes, liver, lungs, etc.); treated with chemotherapy.
Urologic Oncologists
Marc Dall'Era, M.D.
Professor and Chair
Thenappan (Thenu) Chandrasekar, M.D.
Associate Professor
Jared M. Whitson, M.D., M.A.S., F.A.C.S.
Associate Professor
Avery E. Braun, D.O.
Assistant Professor
Schedule an appointment
To make an appointment, whether a new or returning patient, with a urologic oncologist please call the UC Davis Cancer Center appointment line at 916-734-5959.