Bladder Cancer Therapies(1)

Bladder cancer has a relatively high recurrence rate. Researchers are trying to discover ways to prevent recurrence. One strategy that has been widely tested is chemo-prevention.

• The idea is to use an agent that is safe and has few, if any, side effects but is active in changing the environment of the bladder so another cancer cannot develop so easily there.
• The agents most widely tested as chemo-preventives are vitamins and certain relatively safe drugs.
• No agent has yet been shown to work on a large scale in preventing recurrence of bladder cancer.

Another treatment for bladder cancer that is still under study is called photo-dynamic therapy. This treatment uses a special type of laser light to destroy tumours.

For a few days before the treatment, you are given a substance that sensitizes tumour cells to this light. The substance is infused into your bloodstream via a vein. It then travels to the bladder and collects in the tumour.

• The light is then aimed at the tumour and destroys tumour cells.
• The advantage of this treatment is that it kills only tumour cells, not surrounding healthy tissues. The disadvantage is that it works only for tumours that have not invaded deeply into the bladder wall or to other organs. This treatment is not readily available in most centres in the United States and is not widely used.

emedicinehealth.com

For more on photochemistry treatment:
medicinenet.com

Photo Chemicals

Bladder Cancer Symptoms

Bladder cancer often causes no symptoms until it reaches an advanced state that is difficult to cure.

The most common symptoms of bladder cancer include the following:

• Blood in the urine (haematuria)
• Pain or burning during urination without evidence of urinary tract infection
• Change in bladder habits, such as having to urinate more often or feeling the strong urge to urinate without producing much urine

These symptoms are non-specific. This means that these symptoms are also linked with many other conditions that have nothing to do with cancer.

Having these symptoms does not necessarily mean you have bladder cancer.

People who can see blood in their urine, especially older males who smoke, are considered to have a high likelihood of bladder cancer until proven otherwise. Other high risks are working in environments that contains high levels hydrocarbons gases; e.g. petroleum, paint, cleaning and perfume vapours

• Blood in the urine is usually the first warning sign of bladder cancer.
• Unfortunately, the blood is often invisible to the eye. This is called microscopic haematuria, but is detectable with a simple urine test stick.
• In some cases, enough blood is in the urine to noticeably change the urine colour. The urine may have a slightly pink or orange hue, or it may be bright red with or without clots.

emedicinehealth.com

papillary carcinoma:
http://cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk/cgi-bin/omd?papillary+carcinoma

A malignant neoplasm characterised by the formation of numerous, irregular, finger-like projections of fibrous stroma that is covered with a surface layer of neoplastic epithelial cells.

neoplasm:
New and abnormal growth of tissue, which may be benign or cancerous.

webpathology.com/digital_atlas | bladder images

Here are two images of benign urothelial cells.

First a 'tidy' set of layers forming the urothelium.

Urothelium normally consists of 4 to 6 layers of cells. The uppermost layer consists of umbrella cells (not well seen in this image) which may have irregular hyperchromatic nuclei.

Second a more disparate set.

The urothelial cells are somewhat disorganized in this example, however, they are still clearly benign. The lamina propria (the pale area) is edematous (swollen with fluid); probably a symptom of the scattered inflammatory cells (pink).

The next image is one from the urinary cytology test I had in June 2008

The report on this is: A papillary group of cells, which I would regard as highly suspicious of well-differentiated papillary transitional cell carcinoma' Dr N J Robertson. Derriford Hospital, Plymouth.

This is an enlargement of the above highlighting some cells

Haemoglobin

wikipedia.org

Myoglobin

1.
An iron-containing protein found in muscle fibers, consisting of heme connected to a single peptide chain that resembles one of the subunits of hemoglobin. Myoglobin combines with oxygen released by red blood cells and transfers it to the mitochondria of muscle cells, where it is used to produce energy.
thefreedictionary.com

2.
Myoglobin is a single-chain globular protein of 153 amino acids, containing a heme (iron-containing porphyrin) prosthetic group in the center around which the remaining apoprotein folds. It has a molecular weight of 16,700 daltons, and is the primary oxygen-carrying pigment of muscle tissues.
wikipedia.org

5-fluorouracil, often in a cocktail of drugs taken for cancer, including bladder cancer, is associated with brain damage.

Still as most people are verging on 'brain dead', this may help them to continue to smile as they kill.

See BBC article Brain damage link to cancer drug

From wikipedia

A polyp is an abnormal growth of tissue (tumor) projecting from a mucous membrane. If it is attached to the surface by a narrow elongated stalk it is said to be pedunculated. If no stalk is present it is said to be sessile. Polyps are commonly found in the colon, stomach, nose, sinus(es), urinary bladder and uterus. They may also occur elsewhere in the body where mucous membranes exist like the cervix[1] and small intestine.

From pathlights.com

POLYPS(polyposis): are growths of various sizes, and are especially found in certain portions of the mucous membranes: the nose, large intestine (colon), bladder, and cervix. They are especially common in the rectum and the portion of the colon just above that (the sigmoid).

These growths are benign (that is, not cancerous) and, growing on stalk-like structures, look something like narrow mushrooms. They tend to be hereditary.

SYMPTOMS
In the bladder: Blood in the urine.

BLADDER POLYPS: The medical route is removal of the bladder. Unless they are removed, by natural methods or unnatural, bladder cancer may result.

TREATMENT: A Wisconsin research team discovered that the polyps in most of their patients either lessened or disappeared entirely, when they were placed on a high vitamin C diet. The body is attempting to get rid of various waste products; it needs help doing the job. Vitamin C; more water drinking; nutritious food; a high-fiber diet; and the elimination of processed, fried, and junk foods greatly helps. Take some type of supplemental fiber daily. Be sure to increase your water intake at the same time you increase your fiber intake.