Cancer is one disease most people would choose not to get. However, that is really not up to them. Cancer chooses its victims based on a number of factors, from genetic predisposition to smoking. In most cases of cancer, it is easy to treat the cancer by simply removing the cancer growth or affected organ. There are only a few organs in the human body where removing the organ is not an option. Bladder cancer is one of them. Here is how your doctor will treat your bladder cancer instead.
The Good: Radiation
Bladder cancer is almost always caught in the very early stages. That is, at least, the good news about this type of cancer. What is even better is that bladder cancer responds very well to radiation therapy. The cancer cells die off very quickly, leaving nothing but healthy bladder tissue and cells behind. It is very rare that you would have to also undergo chemotherapy, unless you have a very late diagnosis or a very aggressive form of bladder cancer.
The Bad: No Substitute or Replacement for the Human Bladder
Humans only get one bladder. That is the biggest reason why this type of cancer is so difficult; you cannot simply accept a "donor bladder" from a family member because then he/she would not have a bladder. The bladder is necessary for filtering toxins, ammonia, and urine out of the kidneys and the blood. There is currently no way a doctor can manufacture an artificial bladder either. With all of the above in mind, your doctor only has one course of treatment for bladder cancer.
The Ugly: Multiple Stages with Multiple Survival Rates
The really ugly part about bladder cancer is that it has six stages and six survival rates, each more worse than the last, despite how soon it is diagnosed. That means that you could catch it at stage one, survive for ten more years, only to discover that it returns with a vengeance and leaves you in the middle of stage four. In fact, it is one type of cancer that not even the American Cancer Society can accurately predict survival rates for.
Start Immediate Treatment
The only thing you really can do with bladder cancer is to start treatment immediately. The sooner you start bladder cancer treatment, the faster you can begin remission. Like brain cancer, this is one type of cancer you do not want to delay seeking medical help.
