TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Da Chien General Hospital in Miaoli said Tuesday that its medical team removed a 7-by-6 centimeter bladder tumor while preserving the patient's bladder.
Lu Chao-ming (陸兆明), a urologist at Da Chien General Hospital, said a 76-year-old woman surnamed Chen (陳) started experiencing blood in her urine in March. Initial tests showed normal kidney function, but a follow-up bladder exam revealed a bladder tumor, CNA.
Lu said the tumor took up nearly half of the bladder's space when empty. Since there were no signs of the cancer spreading, it was suitable for removal through a scraping procedure.
The team used a bladder scope to enter the bladder and scrape out the tumor, Lu explained. This method allows for enough tissue to be collected for testing to check for cancer spread.
The woman had no abdominal scars after the procedure and did not require a permanent artificial bladder, allowing her to maintain a normal quality of life. This approach is safer and has fewer complications, making it suitable for early-stage bladder cancer patients, Lu added.
After the surgery, the team proceeded with radiation therapy to eliminate any remaining tumor cells on the bladder wall, Lu said. Two days after the procedure, the woman's symptoms of blood in her urine and frequent urination had improved. The bladder wall had fully healed during a follow-up visit three months later.
Lu reminded the risk factors for bladder cancer include smoking, dialysis, bladder infections, and bladder stones. According to Cathay General Hospital, bladder cancer commonly affects men over the age of 60, with the ratio of men to women affected about 3-to-1.
Cathay General Hospital added that blackfoot disease, a chronic vascular condition common in Taiwan's southwestern coastal areas, may be linked to a higher incidence of bladder cancer in the region. The hospital suggests this could be due to elevated arsenic levels in the local drinking water, which has been associated with both conditions.
