New Delhi: With their medical innovations, the researchers have paved the way for advanced treatment options for bladder cancer. From personalised immunotherapies and targeted drug treatment to minimally invasive surgical techniques, the scope of care for bladder cancer patients is rapidly evolving. This article uncovers the latest medical advances that can regain the lost hopes of patients who have bladder cancer and help them discover how modern medicine can change the outlook of bladder cancer treatment.
In an interaction with News9Live, Dr. Jeyhan B. Dhabhar, Designation: Medical Oncologist and Cancer Expert, Jaslok Hospital And Research Centre, Mumbai, spoke about the many medical advances that can make bladder cancer care better.
A Quick Overview of Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer is a type of cancer that originates in the cells of the bladder (an organ that stores urine). Most commonly, it begins with the cells inside the bladder lining. According to an online database, GLOBOCAN 2020, among 185 countries and 36 types of cancers, bladder cancer is ranked 17th for incidence and 19th for mortality in India. Bladder cancer is mostly recognised at an early stage, but the chances of recurrence of treated early-stage bladder cancer are very high. As a result of this, people with bladder cancer have to go through follow-up tests for years to find if bladder cancer has recurred.
Traditional therapies used for Bladder Cancer treatment
There is a wide range of therapies that have been used, depending on the severity of bladder cancer. Let us get an insight into these therapies.
- Surgically removing the tumour.
- Chemotherapy in the bladder: This treatment option is used when cancer is restricted to the bladder lining, but the chances of its recurrence and progression are high.
- Chemotherapy for the entire body: This treatment option is used as a primary
treatment when surgery cannot be performed, or to increase the probability of curing a person who must undergo bladder removal surgery. - Radiation therapy: This treatment option kills cancer cells and is usually used when surgery is not an option or is not desired.
- Immunotherapy: This treatment option increases the body’s immunity to fight cancer cells.
Medical Advances in Treating Bladder Cancer
With time, researchers have come up with some new therapies for protecting humanity against the severe threat of bladder cancer. Let us delve into the latest medical advances for bladder cancer treatment:
Bladder removal surgeries using robotics: Bladder removal surgery is beneficial when a patient does not respond to other treatment options and when the cancer is likely to spread. Recent advances have come into practice where robotic surgery with a single incision is used for bladder removal and reconstruction. This strategy offers advantages such as less pain, fewer complications post-operation, and reduced hospital stay.
Injectable form of Immunotherapy: The very new medical advance in treating bladder cancer is an injectable form of immunotherapy, which enables patients to get their fortnightly or monthly treatment in just 5 minutes rather than an hour via an IV drip. This strategy will save the treatment time of the patient and the hospital staff by over a year, helping patients reduce their hospital stay and get a quick discharge.
Urine test for monitoring bladder cancer recurrence: This strategy aids in the easy and non-invasive detection of bladder cancer and its recurrence, which will help initiate treatment early. Its non-invasive nature makes it highly patient-compliant and widely acceptable compared to traditional detection methods.
The treatment strategies for bladder cancer have drastically evolved, with patient-centric treatment brought into practice. Various new treatment options for bladder cancer, like 5-minute immunotherapy injections, a combinational drug approach, and urinary analysis for early detection, have cleared the path to battle this dangerous health issue and help improve people’s hope and quality of life.
Newly approved drugs: Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) have chemotherapy drugs attached to antibodies. They recognize tumors and deliver the chemotherapy right to them.