Bladder cancer found in its early stages has an excellent response to treatment. Your health care team will guide you through your cancer treatment and outline your options.

Three types of bladder cancer may form:

Papillary tumors stick out from the bladder lining on a stalk. They tend to grow into the bladder cavity, away from the bladder wall, instead of deeper into the layers of the bladder wall.

Sessile tumors lie flat against the bladder lining. Sessile tumors are much more likely than papillary tumors to grow deeper into the layers of the bladder wall.

Carcinoma in situ (CIS) is a cancerous patch of bladder lining. The patch may look almost normal or may look inflamed.

Each type of tumor can be present in one or more areas of the bladder and more than one type can be present at the same time.

Choosing the Right Treatment for You

There are several treatment options that your physician can discuss with you. They include:

Transurethral resection (TUR):
removal of a bladder tumor using a cystoscope.
Intravesical therapy:
placement of liquid medication directly into the bladder to help destroy cancer cells or reduce the likelihood of recurrence.
Chemotherapy:
use of intravenous medications to destroy cancer cells.
Radiation:
use of beams of energy to destroy cancer cells.
Cystectomy:
removal of the bladder.