Weill Cornell Medicine Urology
Weill Cornell Medicine Urology
Bladder Cancer - Treatment Options

Bladder Cancer - Treatment Options

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Bladder cancer treatment is dependent on the depth of invasion through the bladder wall. Superficial bladder cancers are treated by resection through the urethra, known as transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT). Under general anesthesia, a scope is inserted into the urethra to navigate the anatomic tube through which the urine exits the body.

For bladder cancer that invades into the muscle of the bladder wall, the gold standard therapy is surgical removal of the entire bladder (radical cystectomy), and dissection of a lymph node to detect whether cancer has spread beyond the bladder. In men, the prostate and seminal vesicles are also removed.

Bladder replacement options are performed with the use of an intestinal segment and are classified as either: (1) incontinent or (2) continent.

An incontinent diversion (ileal conduit) requires a bag to be placed over a stoma to capture urine that drains as it is produced.

A continent diversion stores urine and comes in two types: (1) neobladder or (2) catheterizable pouch that requires insertion of a tube into the diversion to drain urine. Disadvantages of continent diversions include the fact that there may be a greater need to surgically revise the stoma or connections, as these surgical reconstructions are more complex and subject to a higher revision rate, when compared to ileal conduit diversion.

Finally, for patients that have other severe medical conditions that make general anesthesia and/or surgery too risky, bladder sparing radiation therapy may be an option.

Clinical Trials

For information on the clinical trials currently open at Weill Cornell Medicine for bladder cancer, please visit the Joint Clinical Trials Office website.

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Physicians & Faculty

Dr. David Michael Nanus, M.D.

David M. Nanus

M.D.

646.962.2072
646.962.2072
AETNA [Medicare], AETNA-HMO, AETNA-PPO, Aetna-Weill Cornell POS, Affinity Health Plan, CIGNA, EBCBS HMO, EBCBS Mediblue, EBCBS PPO/EPO, GHI, Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP), Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP) [Medicaid], Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP) [Medicare], Oxford Health Plans [Liberty], Rockefeller University-CoreSource, United Empire Plan, United Health Care, United Health Care [Community Plan]
Dr. Douglas S. Scherr, M.D. | Weill Cornell Medicine

Douglas Scherr

M.D.

646.962.6363
646.962.6363
AETNA [Medicare], AETNA-HMO, AETNA-PPO, Aetna-Weill Cornell POS, CIGNA, EBCBS HMO, EBCBS Mediblue, EBCBS PPO/EPO, Empire BCBS HealthPlus, Empire BCBS HealthPlus (CHP), GHI, Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP), Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP) [Medicare], Medicaid, Medicare, Rockefeller University-CoreSource, United Empire Plan, United Healthcare Commercial
Brady Urologic Health Center
Dr. Scott T. Tagawa, M.D., MS

Scott T. Tagawa

M.D.

646.962.2072
646.962.2072
AETNA [Medicare], AETNA-HMO, AETNA-PPO, Aetna-Weill Cornell POS, Affinity Access, Affinity Health Plan, Blue Priority Network, CIGNA, EBCBS HMO, EBCBS Mediblue, EBCBS Pathway X, EBCBS PPO/EPO, Emblem Select Care, Empire BCBS HealthPlus, Empire BCBS HealthPlus (CHP), Fidelis Care, GHI, Health First, Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP), Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP) [Medicaid], Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP) [Medicare], Medicaid, Medicare, Oxford Freedom, Oxford Health Plans [Liberty], Oxford Health Plans [Medicare], Oxford Health Plans [Metro/Core/Charter], POMCO, Rockefeller University-CoreSource, UHC Compass, United Empire Plan, United Health Care, United Health Care [Community Plan], United Healthcare Commercial, VNSNY CHOICE Medicare, VNSNY CHOICE SelectHealth
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