New Trends In Bladder Cancer Research

By Luisa Sharpe


Bladder cancer research today is looking at new ways to detect the disease earlier as well as more effective and less invasive ways to treat it once it has been discovered. There are many trials and studies being done that will contribute vital information to what is already known by researchers.

These studies are very effective at finding whether or not the cancers are returning through the discovery of specific proteins in the urine of the patient. It is being tested for initial discovery of tumors. The BTA test has proven accurate but can also be tainted by other conditions and give false positives in patient results.

The NMP22 test looks for a protein found in the nucleus of cells. This test works very well for detecting the most common type of transitional cell cancers. NMP22 occurs in most humans in very minute amounts and elevated levels indicate the patient may have TCC.

A newer test than NMP22 has proven to be just as useful for detection of TCC. The Mcm5 is used in concert with the NMP22 and they can find TCC earlier than any other method. These three tests are not generally used unless other methods have proven ineffective.

Even with use of these tests, if they were commonly available, patients will still need to submit to an invasive procedure called the cystoscopy. This procedure entails a camera in the bladders of patients to find any tumors that may be present. Special chemicals are added to enhance the blood vessels that feed the tumors.

Treatment studies are also being conducted by many labs. One notable study is photodynamic therapy where your doctor puts the drug directly into bladders through using catheters and later fills them with saline solution. A special light is then directed at the lining of the organ and the light activates the drug. This process directly kills the cancerous cells, damages the blood vessels that feed the tumor and trigger your immune system to destroy the tumor.

Combination therapies are being tested and proving to be effective also. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are used together to first shrink the tumor prior to considering surgery. Radiotherapy works to help stop the tumors from returning after treatment. Another step that is often added is to flood the affected area with oxygen because the cells die easier when they are flooded with oxygen.

Other therapies being researched are hyperthermia and chemotherapy used together to help stop the return of tumors in patients. Medication is placed into the patient and heated with a micro-wave probe to enhance its effectiveness. Another approach that is gaining popularity is biological therapies. This process uses natural body substances to fight this disease. The drugs being made from body substances are being tested in multiple trials to determine the extent of their effectiveness on several different cancers. They have proven effective in several studies and appear to have a promising outcome in many others. The scientists are also constantly developing new drugs for this condition. The new drugs must be thoroughly tested and proven prior to being used for treatment on humans.




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