Blood and Wine

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