Stage 4 Bladder Cancer Symptoms
Stage 4 bladder cancer symptoms (symptoms in final days) - how long can you live with untreated bladder cancer - Being diagnosed with bladder cancer can be overwhelming and intimidating, especially if it was stage 4. Stage 4 cancer of the bladder is the most advanced stage and carries the worst prognosis. Many cancer treatments will be difficult and challenging. However, the treatment can reduce or even eliminate your symptoms and help you live longer, more comfortable life. It is important to consider the pros and cons of treating stage 4 bladder cancer because treatments that come with side effects and risks.
This often causes symptoms diagnosis, but they are not unique to stage 4 cancer of the bladder. 4 stages of bladder cancer are also called metastatic bladder cancer. This means cancer has spread from the bladder to the outside to other parts of the body. People with metastatic cancer may experience symptoms related to where cancer has spread. Stage 4 bladder cancer symptoms - For example, if bladder cancer that has spread to the lungs, you may experience chest pain or increased coughing.
What is the survival rate? Metastatic bladder cancer is difficult to cure because it is already traveling to other parts of the body. Later you are diagnosed and further cancer had traveled, the less chance that your cancer will be cured. 5-year survival rate which is estimated at 15 percent. This means that with the treatment you have a 15 percent chance of survival for 5 years after a diagnosis of stage 4 cancer of the bladder.
If bladder cancer has spread to regional lymph nodes, the 5-year survival rate is 34 percent. If it has spread to more distant places on the site, the 5-year survival rate was 5.4 percent.
Still, there are treatment options for this stage. Keep in mind that new treatments are always in development. The prognosis and treatment options depend heavily on the details of each person's disease. Knowing the classes and other details of cancer can help provide a better prediction of prognosis, treatment options, and life expectancy. Of course, this survival rate and the numbers are only approximate. They can't predict what will happen to everyone. Some people will live longer or shorter than the estimated interest rates. Reading them can be confusing and can lead to more questions. Be sure to talk openly with your doctor to better understand your situation.
Stage 4 Bladder Cancer Symptoms
Patients with Stage cancer of the urinary bladder IV have cancer that has extended through the bladder wall and invaded the pelvic wall and/or stomach and/or has lymph node involvement and/or spread to distant places. Bladder cancer phase IV is also referred to as "metastatic" cancer of the bladder.A variety of factors which eventually influence the decision of patients to receive cancer treatment. The purpose of receiving treatment for cancer may improve symptoms through local control of cancer, improve the patient's chance for cure or be prolonging survival of patients. The potential benefits of receiving cancer treatment must be carefully balanced with the potential risk of receiving cancer treatment.
The following is a general overview of the treatment of stage IV bladder cancer. Circumstances unique to Your situation and Your cancer prognostic factors can ultimately affect how the general principles of care that apply to Your situation. The information on this Website is intended to help educate You about Your treatment options and to facilitate joint or the decision-making process together with Your treating cancer physician.
Most of the new treatment developed in clinical trials. Stage 4 bladder cancer symptoms - Clinical trials are studies that evaluate the effectiveness of new drugs or treatment strategies. The development of more effective cancer treatment requires new and innovative therapies be evaluated with cancer patients. Participation in clinical trials can offer access to care is better and advance the existing knowledge about treatment of this cancer. Clinical trials are available for most stages of cancer. Patients who are interested to participate in a clinical trial should discuss the risks and benefits of clinical trials with their doctor. To ensure that You receive the optimal treatment of cancer, it is very important to stay informed and follow the cancer news to learn about new treatments and clinical trial results.
Currently, only a small fraction of patients with Stage cancer of the urinary bladder IV cured after treatment with standard therapy. This is because of the majority of patients cancer that has spread outside the pelvic area. Because most patients with Stage cancer of the urinary bladder IV has a disease that has spread and cannot be removed with surgery, a treatment that can kill cancer cells throughout the body is necessary. Standard treatment consists of chemotherapy and sometimes radiation and surgery.
Some patients with bladder cancer have stage IV disease based only on the involvement of local lymph nodes and they don't have a lot of evidence of spread of cancer. Patients with pelvic organ involvement direct extension and small volume metastasis to regional lymph nodes can be managed only as a stage III patient if all cancer can be removed with dissection of lymph nodes Cystectomy of ovarian radical and bilateral. For more information about the type of treatment, the stage of bladder cancer IV click on the treatment of stage III bladder cancer.
Chemotherapy treatment stages of bladder cancer IV: Before the development of effective chemotherapy, the average survival of patients with Stage IV cancer diagnosis is only 3-6 months. Cancer of the bladder, however, more sensitive to chemotherapy and may respond to treatment often and quickly. Although long-term survival has been reported in some patients, chemotherapy is given primarily to improve the symptoms of bladder cancer. Patients in the clinical condition should include treatment with curative intent because some patients have prolonged Remissions without cancer recurrence.
A combination of chemotherapy agents that are usually used for the treatment of bladder cancer, because there is no single answer to chemotherapy will result in more of sometimes of the patient. Two chemotherapy regimens commonly used are GC and MVAC. GC is the combination of Gemzar (gemcitabine) and cisplatin. MVAC is a combination of methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin. Phase III trial comparing the two regimens suggested that they are also equally effective, but that the GC produces fewer side effects.
Surgery for bladder cancer IV Stage: Radical Cystectomy (removal of the bladder, bladder tissue, prostate and seminal vesicles of men and the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, anterior vaginal wall and urethra in women, with or without pelvic lymph node dissection) is sometimes recommended for the treatment of patients with bladder cancer stage IV to control the spread of the local and the complications this creates. Surgery is also used after an incomplete response main cancer radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy. To learn more about radical Cystectomy, go to surgery for bladder cancer.
Strategies to improve care: The progress that has been made in the treatment of bladder cancer has resulted from better treatment evaluated in clinical trials. Future progress in the treatment of bladder cancer will generate continued participation in the study as appropriate. Currently, there are several areas of active exploration aimed at improving the treatment of bladder cancer.
Supportive care: supportive Care refers to treatments designed to prevent and control the side effects of cancer and treatment. Side effects not only cause patients discomfort but also can prevent the optimal delivery of therapy does plan and schedule. To achieve optimal results from treatment and improve quality of life, it is very important that the side effects of cancer and appropriate treatment administered. For more information, go to managing side effects.
Chemotherapy regimens new: Development of new regimen of chemotherapy treatment multi-drug that combines the anti-cancer therapy new or additional for use as treatment areas of clinical research are actively conducted in clinical trials phase II. Interesting questions include the use of carboplatin place of cisplatin in order to reduce side effects, the combination of the chemotherapy drug taxane (such as paclitaxel) with cisplatin or carboplatin, and the addition of the drug a third-gemcitabine and cisplatin.
Cancer therapy target: Targeted therapy also drugs interfere with pathways specifically involved in cancer cell growth or survival. Some targeted therapies block growth signals from reaching cancer cells; others reduce the blood supply to the cancer cells; still, others stimulate the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. Depending on the particular "target", targeted therapies may slow cancer cell growth or increase cancer cell death. Targeted therapies can be used in combination with other cancer treatments such as conventional chemotherapy.
Stage 4 bladder cancer symptoms - Some types of targeted therapies being evaluated for the treatment of bladder cancer advanced. For example, clinical trial Phase II suggest that targeted therapy of Herceptin (trastuzumab; drug used to treat breast cancers that overexpress a protein known as HER2) may be effective in combination with chemotherapy for patients with advanced HER2-positive bladder cancer.
Phase I trials: therapy a new anti-cancer continue to be developed and evaluated in phase I clinical trials. The purpose of phase I trials is to evaluate new drugs and/or therapeutic approach to determine the best way to manage the treatment and whether the treatment has the activity of anti-cancer in patients with bladder cancer. Multiple drug resistance inhibitors: bladder Cancer can be drug resistant at the start of treatment or develop drug resistance after treatment. Some drugs are being tested to determine if they will overcome or prevent the development of drug resistance several in bladder cancer and other cancers.