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Urinary bladder is an expandable hollow organ located at the lower abdominal part of the body and it collects urine from the kidneys. Bladder stores the urine till it is passed out and it has the immense power to expand and collapse. This ability of the bladder to expand and collapse is because of the muscular nature of its walls. Cancer usually develops on the muscular walls of the bladder, wherein the normal cells of the walls undergo changes and multiply quickly in an uncontrollable manner.
There are three kinds of bladder cancer adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and transitional cell carcinoma. Transitional cell carcinoma develops in the innermost layer of bladder and about 90% of bladder cancer belongs to this category.
Squamous cell carcinoma accounts to 8% of bladder cancer and it develops in flat, thin, squamous cells whereas adenocarcinoma, which accounts to 2% of bladder cancer, develops in glandular cells. Those who have bladder cancer will have lower back pain, blood in urine, pain during urination and urge for frequent urination.
Treatment for Bladder Cancer
Transurethral Resection
Transurethral resection is usually carried out to treat the superficial cancer, which has not invaded deeply into the muscle wall. During this treatment a small wire loop is passed through the urethra and electric current is passed through it to burn the cancer cells. A layer of surrounding healthy tissues is also burned. The patients will suffer from pain and bloody urine for few days.
Surgery
If the cancerous growth is limited only to a small portion of the bladder, then doctor removes the affected portion and suture the bladder. As the operation reduces the size of the bladder, the patient will have frequent urge to urinate. If the cancer has invaded the deeper layers, then doctors will remove the entire bladder and create a new area for storing the urine.
Chemotherapy
During chemotherapy, certain drugs are administrated to the patients either intravenously or directly into the bladder. Chemotherapy is usually carried out post-surgery or transitional resection to kill the left over cancer cells.
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At times chemotherapy is administrated before the surgery to shrink the cancerous growth and to facilitate a less invasive surgery.
Radiation Therapy
During radiation, a high energy light is used to destroy the cancer cells. Radiation therapy is administrated before or after the surgery.
Nutrition Therapy
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Cancer normally depletes the nutrient buildup in the body and makes the patient vulnerable to many other diseases. Patients are subjected to individualized nutrition assessments and a diet plan is developed based on this assessment.
Nutrition therapy reduces the side effects of other treatments and improves the well-being of the patient. During nutrition therapy, foods like poultry, fish, low fat yogurt, legumes, vegetables, fruits, cereals and whole grains are recommended along with nutrient supplements such as vitamin C, selenium, beta carotene and eicosapentaenoic acid.
Mind-body Therapy
This therapy helps to develop the force of spirit and mind to bear with the healing process at mental, physical, spiritual and emotional levels. This treatment is based on the theory that mind can influence the immune system of the body and it directs the patient’s energy towards health and healing. This therapy involves relaxation and imagery training, stress management, spiritual meditation, psychoeducational groups, support groups, individual and family counseling, humor therapy etc.
Physical Therapy
Depending upon the patients’ capacity, physical exercises are advocated to boost the tolerance level of the body to radiation and chemotherapy. Daily exercise helps the patients to gain a physical control over the pathological condition and provides an outlet for their anxiety and stress.
Biological Therapy
During biological therapy, drugs made from natural substances or natural body substances that work against invaders are used to fortify the body’s defense mechanism and thereby provide more energy to fight cancer.
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Caution: Please use Home Remedies after Proper Research and Guidance. You accept that you are following any advice at your own risk and will properly research or consult healthcare professional.