Bladder-sparing treatments: an alternative to bladder removal for bladder cancer patients

Dr Anne Kiltie, from the University of Oxford, Oxford, UK, talks about an alternative type of therapy for bladder cancer patients who are not fit to have their bladder removed. This alternative, known as bladder spearing is when patients are given radiotherapy treatment over a period of 4 to 6 weeks. Generally, this treatment is well tolerated. Patients must be closely followed up with check cystoscopy, to ensure the tumour has not come back. Dr Kiltie explains that this treatment should ideally be given along with chemotherapy. However, not all patients especially older patients, do not deal with the chemotherapy very well. Therefore, new chemotherapy that are less toxic with fewer side effects are hoping to be developed. Recorded at the European Association of Urology (EAU) conference 2017 in London, UK.