How long can you live with bladder cancer chemotherapy

How long can you live after chemotherapy for bladder cancer? Bladder tumors are a type of tumor that appears frequently nowadays, affecting people's health. Many patients with bladder tumors have been worried about their life span. How long they can live has become a reality they consider. So how long can they live?

How long can a patient with bladder cancer live? Well, first of all, bladder cancer that is discovered early will not be life-threatening as long as it has not metastasized, so don't worry too much. Secondly, bladder cancer is difficult to treat and prone to recurrence. Clinically, comprehensive treatment is often used, that is, transurethral bladder tumor resection + postoperative bladder instillation chemotherapy. Thirdly, follow up regularly and pay attention to reexamination. As long as you pay attention to reexamination to prevent metastasis, it will not be life-threatening. In addition, instillation chemotherapy has no effect on the quality of life, because it is not systemic chemotherapy, so there will be no side effects such as hair loss.

So this disease is not terrible but troublesome, because patients need to undergo frequent bladder instillation chemotherapy, and surgery is required after recurrence. Bladder cancer, like other cancers, is mainly treated with surgery. The treatment varies according to the size of the tumor during surgery. If the tumor is very small and only in the mucosal layer, and has not metastasized to the deep or surrounding bladder, it can be removed or burned directly through the urethra without surgery, but regular examinations are required after treatment.

If the tumor cells have infiltrated deep into the bladder muscle, part of the bladder or the entire bladder can be removed. When the bladder is completely removed, in order not to affect the quality of life, another "bladder" needs to be made. Generally, a section of ileum is cut from the patient to make a bladder, the ureter is connected to it, and then an opening is made in the abdomen for urination. Bladder cancer patients are very likely to relapse after surgery, but if they can be treated in time after recurrence, they can still be cured. Therefore, bladder cancer patients should be checked frequently after surgery so that recurrence can be detected early. Generally, a cystoscopy is performed every three months.

If the patient is in good physical condition, surgical treatment is still the first choice. Surgical treatment can remove tumor cells, relieve pain, and alleviate symptoms. However, surgery only removes tumor cells that can be seen by the naked eye. It is powerless against tumor cells that cannot be seen by the naked eye, so recurrence and metastasis are prone to occur after surgery.