I have bladder cancer. How do I monitor its recurrence?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am a 63-year-old man recently diagnosed with bladder cancer after blood in my urine. The scan shows a tumor inside the bladder wall.

What treatment options do I have beyond surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiation?
How likely is recurrence, and how often should I get checked?

Kindly suggest.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

These are essential questions to ask at this point. As per your description, there is a suspicion of bladder cancer. Treatment options for bladder cancer mainly depend on how deeply the tumor has invaded the bladder wall and whether it has spread elsewhere.

Surgery, usually TURBT (transurethral resection of bladder tumor), is the first and most important step. If the cancer is non-muscle invasive, treatment after surgery often includes intravesical therapy such as BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin), which helps reduce the risk of recurrence.

If the cancer is muscle-invasive, additional treatments may include chemotherapy, sometimes given before or after surgery, and in selected cases a radiation-based bladder-sparing approach.

Immunotherapy is usually used in advanced disease or when chemotherapy is not suitable, but it may also be considered in certain situations depending on overall health and response to other treatments.

Regarding recurrence, bladder cancer does tend to come back, especially high-grade tumors. That is why regular follow-up is essential, even after successful treatment.

The exact treatment plan and follow-up schedule will depend on your biopsy report and staging.

If you wish, you may share your imaging and histopathology reports, or book a consultation or video consultation, and I can guide you more specifically regarding the best treatment approach and follow-up plan.

Please feel free to reach out again if you need further clarification or support.

I hope this helps you.

Regards.