Is bladder cancer contagious?

Written by Guan Hai Fang
Urology
Updated on September 19, 2024
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Bladder cancer is not contagious, so there is no need to worry about that. Bladder cancer occurs when there is a cancerous transformation of bladder tissue, leading to the formation of bladder tumors. If the tumors are malignant, they are generally termed bladder cancer. Causes of bladder cancer can include long-term exposure to certain carcinogens, such as occupations involving dyes, leather, or paintwork. Another carcinogenic factor is smoking, which is related to about one-third of bladder cancer cases. Chronic infection or prolonged irritation by foreign bodies can also increase the risk of bladder cancer, as seen in cases with bladder stones, bladder diverticula, or chronic cystitis.

Other Voices

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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What medicine is infused into the bladder for bladder cancer?

Postoperative intravesical chemotherapy infusion is very common in the treatment of bladder cancer. Common drugs used for infusion chemotherapy include mitomycin and anthracyclines such as epirubicin or pirarubicin. Gemcitabine is also frequently used for this purpose. The related side effects generally include irritation symptoms of the bladder, although some patients may experience relatively mild side effects.

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Written by Wang Jian
Urology
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Treatment of bladder cancer

For the treatment of bladder cancer, it is necessary first to confirm the diagnosis of bladder cancer through routine urine tests, ultrasonographic examination of the urinary system, cystoscopy, and imaging studies of the urinary system. It is important to determine the location, area, and malignancy of the bladder tumor. For early-stage superficial bladder tumors or tumors on the bladder wall with fewer numbers, minimally invasive surgery can be performed, followed by bladder perfusion to prevent recurrence of the bladder tumor. In the second scenario, if the bladder tumor is multiple and larger, and has a higher degree of malignancy in the bladder trigone area, then a radical cystectomy is required. Radical cystectomy involves the removal of the bladder along with the prostate in males or the uterus in females, followed by the creation of a urinary diversion, typically through these two treatment methods.

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Written by Zou De Bo
Urology
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Is a bladder tumor the same as bladder cancer?

Not all bladder tumors are bladder cancer, as we all know, all tumors can be benign or malignant. Of course, bladder tumors can also be benign or malignant. Only malignant bladder tumors are considered bladder cancer. If some bladder tumors are benign, they cannot be called bladder cancer. Therefore, no matter how a bladder tumor is diagnosed, whether it is benign or malignant, it should be treated as soon as possible.

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Written by Liu Mei Fen
Medical Oncology
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What is the best medicine for bladder cancer infusion?

Bladder perfusion chemotherapy involves infusing chemotherapy drugs directly into the bladder through a catheter to control tumor growth and reduce the recurrence rate after surgery. Generally, the drugs with significant effects on bladder perfusion fall into three categories. The first category is the anthracyclines, including doxorubicin, epirubicin, and pirarubicin. The second category includes platinum-based drugs such as cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin. The third category is vinorelbine. According to current big data research, vinorelbine bladder perfusion tends to have a lower recurrence rate. Without postoperative bladder perfusion chemotherapy, 60%-70% of patients will eventually experience recurrence. With bladder perfusion chemotherapy, the recurrence rate can be reduced to 20%-30%.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Does bladder cancer require the removal of the bladder?

Whether or not to remove the entire bladder in cases of bladder cancer depends on whether the tumor has invaded the base layer and whether there is distant metastasis. For non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, where the muscle layer is not invaded and there is no distant metastasis, typically found in stage 0 and stage 1 bladder cancer patients, there is no need for complete removal of the bladder. The standard treatment in such cases generally involves transurethral resection of the bladder tumor. If the tumor has invaded the base layer but there is no distant metastasis, termed muscle-invasive bladder cancer, patients in this category require radical cystectomy, which involves the removal of the entire bladder. If there is distant metastasis, termed metastatic bladder cancer, surgical treatment is not pursued; instead, palliative chemotherapy is the primary approach.