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Bladder Cancer Care

For people with bladder cancer — as well as cancers of the prostate, kidneys and testicles — Swedish's nationally recognized genitourinary cancer program offers the services of a renowned team of physicians, surgeons and other specialists.

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Phone: 1-855-XCANCER

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Why Choose Us for Bladder Cancer Care?

At Swedish, we see the life in you. Together, let’s finish cancer – so you don’t have to miss any of life’s special moments.

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No two patients, or their treatment plans, are alike. This is why, at Swedish, we take a highly personalized approach to your bladder cancer care. All Swedish bladder-cancer patients benefit from a comprehensive approach to care that begins with state-of-the-art imaging techniques and features the latest treatments and a wide range of high-quality support services. Your oncology team will work with you directly to design a treatment plan that fits your personal needs. It’s an approach that combines leading-edge treatment with the compassionate care Swedish is known for. Why? Because we know this results in the best outcomes.

As a patient, you’ll be supported through your entire cancer journey by a multidisciplinary cancer care team. You’ll be treated by board-certified medical oncologists and radiation oncologists. If surgery is required, our world-class urologists use the most advanced techniques, such as artificial bladder and pouch creation, to preserve normal urinary function. It’s a team-based approach to bladder cancer care. Your care team may include oncology nurse navigators, ostomy nurses and other cancer specialists. We also provide you and your family with a full range of support services well beyond conventional treatment, from genetic counseling and education to nutrition and pain management.

Learn more about the experts who make up our multidisciplinary cancer care teams.

Cancer doesn’t discriminate, but access to great bladder cancer care hasn’t always been the same for everyone. At Swedish, we are deeply committed to making sure every patient we treat has access to the best cancer care. We offer various location-specific services to help our patients receive equitable care, such as translation for non-English-speaking patients, telehealth and transportation assistance. We value, respect and support the racial, ethnic, religious, gender, sexual and spiritual identities of each member of our diverse communities, and we welcome all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. We aim to make sure every patient is treated equally and with dignity – whoever you are, and wherever you’re at.

Swedish is well known for offering options – and hope – to patients seeking the most advanced procedures and therapies to treat bladder cancer. Our Swedish network doctors have pioneered a minimally invasive technique for creating an artificial bladder from intestinal tissue, allowing for normal urination. They also specialize in another procedure to create an internal pouch that is manually emptied. As a patient, you also have the opportunity to participate in one of the many clinical trials happening for bladder cancer across the Swedish network.

About Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer is a type of urologic cancer. Most cases start when cancer cells form in the tissues lining the interior of the organ. The expert oncology teams at Swedish use the most effective therapies to treat patients with every type of bladder cancer and its related conditions, including:

  • Superficial bladder cancer
  • Muscle-invasive bladder cancer
  • Locally advanced bladder cancer
  • Metastatic bladder cancer

Testing and Diagnostics

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Diagnostic tools help our cancer clinicians determine which therapies will work best for each patient, based on many factors like cancer type and the genetic or molecular profile of the tumor. Your doctors will use multiple advanced diagnostic and prognostic tools to help design your individualized treatment plan. Depending on your case, this may include one or more of the following:

Personalized Treatment for Bladder Cancer

We take a team approach to your bladder cancer treatment because we know this offers the best success in controlling and curing cancer. Your multidisciplinary cancer care team will work with you to design an individualized cancer care plan, from diagnosis to post-treatment support. We offer many different therapies across our Swedish locations. Depending on your condition, your personal care plan may include one or more of the following:

Systemic Therapies Surgical Therapies Radiation Therapies
Systemic Therapies

Systemic therapies travel through the bloodstream and affect cells in other body parts. They are used for patients whose cancer has spread to other areas of the body or if there’s a high risk of spread. Sophisticated genetic analysis allows us to target therapies to specific DNA mutations that cause cancer cells to develop and grow. Systemic therapies include:

  • Biologic
  • Chemotherapy (including antibody-drug conjugates)
  • Clinical trials
  • Immunotherapy
  • Intravesical therapy
  • Molecularly targeted therapy

Surgical therapies involve an operation or procedure to remove cancer from the body. Surgery may be the main treatment for some invasive cancers, but it’s only one part of the entire treatment plan. Surgical therapies include:

  • Pelvic lymphadenectomy – open
  • Pelvic lymphadenectomy – laparoscopic
  • Pelvic lymphadenectomy – robotic Note: This advanced therapy is not available at all Swedish locations
  • Radical cystectomy – open
  • Radical cystectomy – laparoscopic
  • Radical cystectomy – robotic Note: This advanced therapy is not available at all Swedish locations
  • Transurethral resection (TUR)

Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation from a source like X-rays or photons to kill cancer cells or shrink tumors. It may be part of a treatment plan that also includes systemic therapies and/or surgery. Radiation is sometimes used to help ease a patient’s pain or discomfort. Radiation therapies include:

  • Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) Note: This advanced therapy is not available at all Swedish locations.
  • Stereotactic radiation (SABR/SBRT) Note: This advanced therapy is not available at all Swedish locations.
  • Surface-guided radiation therapy (SGRT/SIGRT) Note: This advanced therapy is not available at all Swedish locations.
  • Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT)

Find Bladder Cancer Care Close to You

Accreditations

We are proud to see our dedication to our cancer patients recognized by some of the most well-respected programs and institutions in the United States. Several of our Swedish locations have achieved the following accreditations:

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Meet the Team

At Swedish, you'll have access to a vast network of dedicated and compassionate providers who offer personalized care by focusing on treatment, prevention and health education.

Find Clinical Trials

Are you looking for a clinical trial for yourself or for a patient? We’d love to help you find one!

Learn more about clinical trials
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