Bladder Cancer Research In The Modern World

By Minnie Whitley


Doctors are putting in a lot of effort in fighting lethal diseases. They have carried out intensive bladder cancer research in attempts to eliminate it. They are concerned with the genetic changes that bladder cells undergo, using urinal tests in detecting cancer, complete elimination of bladder cancer, and new ways of treating it.

Research on changes in the DNA of bladder cancer cells has made it easier for scientist to understand the prognosis of those infected with cancer. It has also helped them deal with bad cells that come up again after treating the patient.

Researchers are also concerned with carrying out urine tests in diagnosing this cancer. They specifically look for a substance called telomerase which is usually found in large amounts in cancer patients. The urinal test also helps check for recurrence in patients who have already been treated.

Bladder cancer patients are always at a risk of developing cancerous cells in the same or other places. Research is, therefore, currently concerned with looking for ways of completely eliminating the cells. Among the things they are doing to this effect include; use of certain foods, chemotherapy and certain specific drugs. They are also involving vaccines in preventing recurrence of cancerous cells.

With regards to treatment, surgeons are involving new surgical tactics in dealing with the particular cancer. This surgery involves a panel of surgeons manipulating robotic arms to carry out surgery. In this kind of surgery, surgeons operate on a patient through small incisions and not large ones like the commonly used surgery. Patients, therefore, recover more quickly as compared the normal surgery. This surgery has been successful with many other types of cancer, but is still being compared to the standard surgery for removing this part of a body. Researchers are also considering using a number of new drugs to see if they can be put into the particular part of the body after surgery to reduce the danger of recurrence.

Photodynamic therapy is another method being applied in treating cancerous cells while still in their initial stages of development. A drug that quickly responds to light is introduced into the cancerous cells, and after some days, laser light is concentrated on the interior regions of affected bladder. Light changes the drug to a chemical that denatures affected cells. The therapy gets rid of cancerous cells and does not have a lot of negative effects on normal cells. This method, however, only treats cells located on the anterior part of the bladder, and worse still, can cause severe burns if the this part of the body meets too much light.

Targeted therapy is also being used to a large extend in the treatment. It involves drugs that only target changes involved in bladder cells making them cancerous. Some drugs target blood vessels that facilitate the abnormal growth of cells.

The last treatment method is gene therapy. It involves changing the genetic composition of cancerous cells. Altering the genetic composition of cells rids them of cancer. This therapy is still being tested to see whether it is effective for treating all types of cancer or can only treat some types of the same disease.




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