Bladder Cancer

Blue light cystoscopy (BLC) is an enhanced diagnostic procedure used to detect and remove non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) by making tumor cells glow bright pink under blue light. It’s more accurate than traditional white light alone, helping surgeons identify, remove and reduce the recurrence of cancerous tumors.

A Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor (TURBT) is a common, minimally invasive surgical procedure used to diagnose, stage and treat non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. A surgeon inserts a resectoscope through the urethra to remove tumors with an electrical wire loop, without any external incisions. It is vital for determining how deeply a tumor has grown.

Intravesical treatment for bladder cancer involves delivering liquid medication directly into the bladder via a catheter to treat cancer confined to the lining (NMIBC). It targets cancer cells directly, minimizing side effects, and is used to kill remaining cells post-surgery or reduce recurrence. The main treatments are BCG immunotherapy and intravesical chemotherapy.

A radical cystectomy is a major bladder cancer surgery to remove the entire bladder, nearby lymph nodes and adjacent organs to treat muscle-invasive bladder cancer. It often involves creating a new way for urine to exit the body, typically requiring 5 to 10 days in the hospital and 6 to 12 weeks for full recovery.

For select patients, bladder preservation offers an effective alternative to radical cystectomy. Our team specializes in evidence-based, organ-sparing approaches designed to maintain bladder function without compromising oncologic outcomes.

Our approach includes:

• Multimodal therapy (maximal TURBT + radiation + radiosensitizing chemotherapy)
• Advanced imaging and surveillance protocols using circulating tumor DNA and tumor molecular profiling
• Functional outcome monitoring and supportive care
• Careful patient selection through multidisciplinary review

We evaluate each case rigorously to determine candidacy for bladder preservation, balancing tumor biology, stage and patient goals

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is cancer treatment administered before the primary treatment (usually surgery) to shrink tumors, making them easier to remove and improving surgical outcomes. It treats locally advanced cancers, can make inoperable tumors operable and helps doctors assess how the cancer responds to specific drugs.

Chemotherapy for bladder cancer utilizes drugs to destroy cancer cells, delivered either directly into the bladder (intravesical) for non-muscle-invasive cases or systemically (IV) for advanced, muscle-invasive cancers.

Immunotherapy for bladder cancer uses the body’s immune system to fight cancer cells, primarily through Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) for early-stage (non-muscle invasive) disease, which has about a 70% remission rate.

Targeted therapy for bladder cancer uses drugs to block specific molecules—such as FGFR proteins or Nectin-4—that fuel cancer growth, primarily used for advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Key approved therapies include Erdafitinib (Balversa) for FGFR-positive tumors and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) like Enfortumab vedotin (Padcev).