Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers in Iowa. Our providers are leaders in bladder cancer care and use the most advanced techniques to diagnose and treat bladder cancer and will work with you to develop a treatment plan customized for your cancer.

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The most common kind of bladder cancer is called urothelial carcinoma, which is also called non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, or NMIBC. These tumors grow in the inner lining of the bladder but have not reached the bladder's outer muscle layer, which is why it is sometimes called non-muscle invasive, and is normally very treatable.

When tumors grow into the muscle layer or spread to other parts of the body, they are known as muscle-invasive bladder cancer or metastatic bladder cancer and are more difficult to treat.

Leaders in bladder cancer care

At University of Iowa Health Care Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, our experts are leaders in cutting-edge surgeries and are also researchers developing treatments that increase survival rates.

This includes an innovative treatment created by our bladder cancer experts that uses two chemotherapy drugs — gemcitabine and docetaxel, also called gem/doce — to treat NMIBC. Research has shown that gem/doce works as well or better than traditional therapies. Many of the world's leading cancer centers have turned to our gem/doce combination to treat NMIBC.

Risk factors for bladder cancer

Bladder cancer is more common in men than in women and is also more common in people who are over the age of 55. Caucasians are more likely than African Americans and Latinos to get bladder cancer.

Tobacco use, especially smoking cigarettes, is a major risk factor for bladder cancer. Smokers are three times more likely to get bladder cancer.

Other risk factors for bladder cancer include:

Alcohol consumption
Obesity
Being exposed to certain types of industrial chemicals, such as chemicals and dyes in paint
Not drinking enough fluids

Your chances of bladder cancer are also higher if you have a family history of bladder cancer.

Signs and symptoms of bladder cancer

The most common early symptoms of bladder cancer are blood in your urine, pain when you urinate, and having to urinate more often than you usually do.

Some bladder cancer symptoms come later, after tumors start to grow. Those symptoms could include not being able to urinate, feeling weak, losing your appetite, or pain in your lower back.

If you have any of those symptoms, that doesn’t mean you have bladder cancer. They could be signs of other conditions that aren’t cancer, but it is still important to talk to your provider.

How bladder cancer is diagnosed

Your provider may check for bladder cancer by doing a procedure called cystoscopy. A cystoscope is a thin tube that the urologist uses to see inside the bladder and the vessel that urine moves through when it leaves the bladder during urination. The tube has a light and either a lens or a camera.

At University of Iowa Health Care, we use a procedure called blue light cystoscopy to test for bladder cancer. In blue light cystoscopy, a light-sensitive drug is put into the bladder during the procedure. The provider then uses a blue light with the cystoscope to look for signs of cancer. Cancer cells that have the light-sensitive drug on them will glow in the blue light, making it easier to see them.

If there are areas in bladder that look abnormal, your provider may recommend a biopsy. In a biopsy, the doctor removes tiny pieces of tissue from the bladder and sends them to a lab for testing.

Cancer patient in hallway at Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center

Every cancer diagnosis is unique.

That’s why getting a second opinion matters. Our cancer experts can confirm your diagnosis and help you understand all your treatment options.

Learn more about getting a second opinion

Treatments for bladder cancer

At Holden, your care team is made up of specialists who focus on cancers of the urinary system. They understand and research bladder cancer, and know about the most recent treatment innovations.

Together they will create a personalized treatment plan that may include a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, or a clinical trial. Treatment is customized for your cancer and is based on several factors, including how advanced the cancer is. Many bladder cancer patients receive more than one type of treatment.

Surgery can range from removing small parts of the bladder to removing the bladder entirely. Sometimes the surgery can be performed through the urethra using a cystoscope. Holden offers a range of surgical procedures for bladder cancer patients, from transurethral resection, also called TUR, to radical bladder removal, also called cystectomy. We also offer robotic cystectomies.

Clinical trials in bladder cancer are research studies that test the latest promising treatments and drugs that can increase your chance of recovery and improve your quality of life.

Comprehensive cancer care

In addition to your cancer care, Holden offers additional support for bladder cancer patients through several initiatives, including:

A tobacco treatment program. This program can help you quit smoking or using tobacco, which may make your cancer treatment work better.
Dedicated team of urologists. Urologists with expertise in treating cancer survivors can help manage symptoms and long-term effects of cancer treatment to help improve your quality of life.