Bladder Cancer Recurrence
Follow-up care is extraordinarily important to screen for bladder cancer recurrence – a reappearance of cancer cells, either in the bladder or elsewhere in the body, after the primary treatment for bladder cancer is completed. Your physician will schedule this care to ensure that if your bladder cancer should reappear, it is treated early for maximum effectiveness.
How Is Recurrent Bladder Cancer Diagnosed?
Your follow-up plan may include a variety of physical examinations and/or medical tests, all designed to detect any abnormalities that might indicate bladder cancer recurrence. These examinations and/or tests may include:
- A general physical examination
- Cystoscopy (unless the bladder has been removed)
- X-rays
- Blood and urine tests
If your previous treatment involved a urinary diversion, your physician may also check for infection, signs of recurrent cancer in your upper urinary tract and, through blood tests and X-rays, any changes in kidney function.
Bladder Cancer Outcomes
The primary aim of cancer treatment is to attain the best possible outcome with minimal side effects, ensuring the highest quality of life for the patient. On average, Moffitt's bladder cancer treatment survival rates are 2.5 times higher than the national average.
What Happens When Bladder Cancer Reoccurs?
When bladder cancer reoccurs, it may be limited to the lining of the urinary tract (non–muscle-invasive recurrence), or it may involve the muscle of the bladder area, lymph nodes, or distant organs (muscle-invasive or metastatic recurrence). A recurrence can cause new symptoms, such as blood in the urine or changes in urinary habits, or it may be found only on routine follow-up tests. The specific effects of recurrence depend on where the cancer returns, how extensive it is, and what treatments you have previously received.
While each patient’s cancer is unique, experts have suggested that when recovering from bladder cancer, patients should strive to engage in a healthy lifestyle to rebuild strength and energy, including:
- Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight
- Not smoking
- Eating well
- Engaging in sensible exercise
What Are the Signs of Bladder Cancer Recurrence?
Bladder cancer can come back without causing any noticeable symptoms and may only be detected during routine follow-up visits. When symptoms are present, they may include:
- Blood in the urine
- Needing to urinate often or urgently
- Pain, burning or difficulty when urinating, or a weak stream
- Pain in the side, back or pelvic area
- Unexplained weight loss, tiredness or poor appetite
- Bone pain, cough or shortness of breath if the cancer has spread
Report any new or worsening urinary or general health symptoms to your care team right away so they can check for possible recurrence.
Ranked a Top Cancer Hospital in Nation
Moffitt is ranked 15th in the nation and is the top-ranked cancer hospital in Florida and the Southeast in Newsweek’s “America’s Best Cancer Hospitals."
As with many other types of cancer, there’s always a chance for recurrence with bladder cancer. If your bladder cancer does return, our team of cancer experts is equipped to treat it as aggressively as necessary, using the most advanced surgical, radiation, and chemotherapy treatments. What’s more, we are always looking to preserve our patients’ ability to live their lives to the fullest.
The dedicated team of cancer experts at Moffitt Cancer Center is spending countless hours researching and coordinating clinical trials aimed at developing new options for combatting the disease. Because of these efforts, our Genitourinary Oncology Program can offer treatments that simply aren’t available anywhere else. Our success rate, coupled with our designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute, makes us a much sought-after treatment facility for patients from around the world.
Medically reviewed by Scott Gilbert, MD, Genitourinary Oncology Program.
Contact Moffitt Cancer Center at 1-888-663-3488, or by completing our online new patient registration form to discover what sets Moffitt apart from other cancer treatment centers.