Bladder cancer

The urology department of The Friedrichshafen Clinic, being one of the most renowned cancer center in Germany, is specialized in the treatment of benign and malignant urogenital diseases. The head of the department is Wilhelm Esser-Bartels, Dr. scient. med, a recognized specialist in bladder cancer treatment with 30 years of experience.

Bladder cancer is characterized by malignant tumors development in the wall or the cavity of this muscular organ. Like kidney cancer, this disease can have different symptoms that do not cause any concerns. The most of patients come to a doctor only after discovering blood in urine.

Bladder cancer is diagnosed by many different ways, and the most popular include:

Abdominal and transurethral scanning. This method is used for tumors of more than five millimeters in diameter. It is used for detecting tumors in the hollow muscular organ but doesn’t allow defining the exact tumor localization and form. Bladder cancer is better diagnosed with rectal or vaginal sonography in parallel, combined with the biopsy.

Cystoscopic examination also helps to detect tumors. The diagnostic tumor excision is paid much attention during such procedure, as it allows performing the step-by-step tumor research.

Cytologic diagnostics. This test is made for researching the morphological traits of malignant tumors. While the changes in urogenital system may occur within a year from the past inflammation or chemotherapy, the research of urinary lavage or urospammus is inaccurate sometimes. Moreover, some malignant tumors can point at the disease completely different from bladder cancer.

Flow cytometry is a maximally precise diagnostic method for bladder cancer. The disease is defined by analyzing urinary lavage or free cortisol, and materials taken during cystoscopy.

Bladder cancer is also diagnosed by the fluorescence analysis, computer DNA-diagnostics and immunohistological analysis. These are additional diagnostic methods for defining the disease character and analyzing tumor response on the performed treatment.

X-ray diagnostics is used when the doctors need to define the filling defect approved by the cystoscopy. Such method gives high accuracy of defining the tumor development process in bladder.

CT (computer tomography) is used when recurrent bladder cancer is suspected, even for no-symptom cases.

Magnetic resonance scanning gives ability to define the stage of bladder cancer and asses the condition of bladder wall and surrounding organs.

Photo-activated research method gives the most accurate results. It is used for defining precancerous and cancerous defects of the mucous membrane.

The diagnostic procedures are defined individually for each patient with bladder cancer in accordance with the disease stage and specific peculiarities of the organism.

What is the possible treatment?

The malignant tumor can be removed by a few methods:

• Conservative treatment. It is prescribed in neurofibroma cases without acute symptomatology. Chemotherapy and radiation treatment is applied in primary lymphatic tissue disease or in rhabdomyoblastoma.
• Transurethral resection is performed by shallow invasion into the muscle for excising small, localized tumors. It is used for patients with 1-2 stage of bladder cancer who have contraindications for cystectomy.
• The treatment for bladder cancer localized on the organ surface is chemotherapy, immunotherapy and beam therapy. The specific treatment method is selected individually.
• BCG-therapy is a preventive treatment against recurrent cancer after organ-sparing surgeries. Such treatment has medical effect on surface tumor forms.
• Surgical treatment features two approaches:
  • organ-sparing method that implies the excision of the tumor with saving the organ functioning. This treatment suitable for patients with transitional cell cancer form.
  • bladder reconstruction that consists of radical cystectomy followed by the organ reconstruction and chemotherapy. Such treatment is prescribed for patients with higher risks of recurrent cancer.
• Radical cystectomy is a reliable treatment method for the cancer with the primary tumor. It provides the smallest possible chances for relapse. This treatment method is prescribed for patients with no metastatic process.

The specialists of the Friedrichshafen Center have extensive experience in the sphere of bladder cancer treatment. Modern equipment and using the latest medical achievements gives ability to perform even the most complicated surgeries on the highest possible level.

If you have any questions, please, do not hesitate to contact us. Our experienced international patient managers are available under the number +49 7541 97 82 751 or via email: .