Bladder Cancer
The bladder is an organ that stores urine and is located inside the lower part of the abdomen. Bladder cancer is a malignant growth in cells that comprise the lining of the bladder. Over 68,810 new cases of bladder cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. yearly1.Treatment Options
Treatment options depend on the stage of bladder cancer. There are four standard treatment options for bladder cancer:
Surgery
Radiation
Chemotherapy
Biologic Therapy
Depending on the patient’s type and stage of bladder cancer, several treatments may be used in combination to increase the likelihood of a cure. Surgery is the dominant bladder cancer therapy chosen, and is performed in over 90% of bladder cancers (either alone are in combination with another therapy)2. Early, cancers which have yet to invade the deeper tissue can be removed through a telescopic instrument inserted through the urine passage (transurethral resection of bladder tumour). For patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer, a total removal of the bladder (radical cystectomy) is the preferred form of treatment3.
Surgical Treatment: Cystectomy
Cystectomy is the removal of all or part of the bladder. Very often, nearby lymph nodes in the pelvis are also removed as they may contain cancer. After removal, the surgeon creates a new way for urine to leave the body. In some cases, a urinary diversion is performed to create a new way for the body to store and pass urine4.
Cystectomy is traditionally performed using an open approach, which requires a large abdominal incision. It is associated with significant bleeding, pain, complications and protracted recovery time. Another approach, conventional laparoscopy, is less invasive, but limits the doctor’s dexterity, visualization and control, compared to open surgery, making it technically very challenging to perform. For this reason, conventional laparoscopy has not gained widespread adoption by surgeons.
da Vinci® Surgery
If your doctor recommends surgery to treat bladder cancer, you may be a candidate for a breakthrough, minimally invasive approach – da Vinci® Surgery. Da Vinci® Surgery uses state-of-the-art technology to help your doctor perform a more precise operation than conventional instrumentation allows.
da Vinci Cystectomy incorporates the best techniques of open surgery – including comprehensive cancer control – and applies them to a robotic-assisted, minimally invasive approach. da Vinci Cystectomy offers patients several potential benefits over open surgery, including:
Less risk of death2
Less blood loss3,4
Lower risk of major complications2,4
Less narcotic pain medicine needed3
Less use of IV feeding tube2
Quicker recovery of bowel function3
Shorter hospital stay4
Minimal scarring
da Vinci Surgery: Precision and Dexterity
For many patients, the precision and dexterity of the da Vinci Surgical System may mean their doctors can offer a minimally invasive bladder cancer surgery. If you are facing bladder cancer surgery, talk to a doctor who performs da Vinci Surgery. To find a da Vinci surgeon, use our surgeon locator.
As with any surgery, these benefits cannot be guaranteed since surgery is unique to each patient and procedure. All surgeries, including da Vinci Surgery, involve risk of major complications. Before you decide on surgery, discuss treatment options with your doctor. Understanding the risks of each treatment can help you make the best decision for your individual situation.
This procedure is performed using the da Vinci Surgical System, a state-of-the-art surgical platform. By overcoming the limits of both traditional open and laparoscopic surgery, da Vinci is changing the experience of surgery for people around the world.
As with any surgery, these benefits cannot be guaranteed since surgery is specific to each patient, condition and procedure. It is important to talk to your doctor about all treatment options, including the risks and benefits. This information can help you make the best decision for your situation.
1. Parkin DM; The global burden of urinary bladder cancer. Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford, UK. max.parkin@ctsu.ox.ac.uk Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19054893
2. Yu HY, Hevelone ND, Lipsitz SR, Kowalczyk KJ, Nguyen PL, Choueiri TK, Kibel AS, Hu JC. Comparative Analysis of Outcomes and Costs Following Open Radical Cystectomy Versus Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Cystectomy: Results From the US Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Eur Urol. 2012 Jun;61(6):1239-44. Epub 2012 Mar 30.
3. Nix J, Smith A, Kurpad R, Nielsen ME, Wallen EM, Pruthi RS. Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial of Robotic versus Open Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer: Perioperative and Pathologic Results, Eur Urol(2009), doi: 10.1016/j.eururo.2009.10.024.
4. Ng CK, Kauffman EC, Lee MM, Otto BJ, Portnoff A, Ehrlich JR, Schwartz MJ, Wang GJ, Scherr DS. A Comparison of Postoperative Complications in Open versus Robotic Cystectomy. Eur Urol(2009) doi: 10.1016/j.eururo.2009.06.001
5. Bladder Cancer Treatment; Treatment Option Overview. National Cancer Institute. Available from: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/bladder/Patient/page4
While clinical studies support the use of the da Vinci ® Surgical System as an effective tool for minimally invasive surgery for specific indications, individual results may vary. There are no guarantees of outcome. All surgeries involve the risk of major complications. Before you decide on surgery, discuss treatment options with your doctor. Understanding the risks of each treatment can help you make the best decision for your individual situation. Surgery with the da Vinci Surgical System may not be appropriate for every individual; it may not be applicable to your condition. Always ask your doctor about all treatment options, as well as their risks and benefits. Only your doctor can determine whether da Vinci Surgery is appropriate for your situation.