Cystopscopy is the main diagnostic test for bladder cancer. The procedure enables the doctor the interior of the bladder and urethra using a thin, illuminated tube known as a cystopscope. It is an outpatient procedure performed under local anaesthesia at the urology centre.
Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumour (TURBT) is a minimally invasive procedure for removing of bladder tumours. This technique serves both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, allowing the examination of the tumour under a microscope and the complete removal of all visible tumours. In some cases, a second TURBT may be necessary after several weeks to confirm the complete removal of cancer and to ensure the accuracy of the initial staging. TURBT is effective in eradicating non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.
The primary treatment for curing muscle-invasive bladder cancer involves surgically removing the urinary bladder. This procedure is performed through an open surgery. A section of the small intestine is used to form a conduit (pouch) that collects urine from the kidneys. This pouch facilitates urine drainage out of the body through an opening created in the abdominal wall known as a stoma. In certain cases, the small intestine can be used to construct a new urinary bladder (neobladder), enabling patients to urinate through the urethra.
