Radiation Therapy for Bladder Cancer
For bladder cancer, radiation therapy is not usually used as the primary form of treatment. More often, it is used in combination with other treatments, like chemotherapy or surgery. Sometimes, however, surgery is not an option, or a patient is not able to receive chemotherapy; in situations like these, radiation therapy might be used on its own.
Radiation therapy is a treatment method that involves delivering high-energy particles or waves to a tumor site to “break” the DNA of abnormal cells and destroy the cancer. There are two main types of radiation therapy: external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and internal radiation therapy (brachytherapy). While EBRT directs radiation at a tumor from outside the body using a machine, brachytherapy delivers radiation internally, through a radioactive implant that’s placed in or near the tumor.
How do I know if radiation therapy is right for me?
In order to determine if radiation therapy is appropriate for treating your bladder cancer, your physicians will take many factors into consideration, including:
- The precise location of the tumor
- The stage of the cancer
- Your age
- Your previous treatments and your responses to those treatments
- Your overall health
At Moffitt, we understand that everyone’s cancer is unique and that patients can’t be compartmentalized. That’s why each patient’s case is reviewed by a tumor board comprised of bladder cancer experts who come together from all areas of expertise – radiation oncology, surgery, uropathology, medical oncology and many other specialties – to develop a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to the patient’s particular needs.
No referral is needed to receive this kind of individualized attention at Moffitt. Call 1-888-663-3488 or complete a new patient registration form online to schedule an appointment and find out if radiation therapy is an option for addressing your bladder cancer.