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Treatment Options by Stage

Stage 0 (Papillary Carcinoma and Carcinoma in Situ)

Treatment of stage 0 (papillary carcinoma and carcinoma in situ) may include the following:

Transurethral resection with fulguration. This may be followed by one of the following:
- Intravesical chemotherapy given right after surgery.
- Intravesical chemotherapy given right after surgery and then regular treatments with intravesical BCG or intravesical chemotherapy.
Partial cystectomy.
Radical cystectomy.
A clinical trial of a new treatment.

Check the list of NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage 0 bladder cancer. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. Talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website.

Stage I Bladder Cancer

Treatment of stage I bladder cancer may include the following:

Transurethral resection with fulguration. This may be followed by one of the following:
- Intravesical chemotherapy given right after surgery.
- Intravesical chemotherapy given right after surgery and then regular treatments with intravesical BCG or intravesical chemotherapy.
Partial cystectomy.
Radical cystectomy.
A clinical trial of a new treatment.

Check the list of NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage I bladder cancer. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. Talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website.

Stages II and III Bladder Cancer

Treatment of stages II and III bladder cancer may include the following:

Radical cystectomy.
Combination chemotherapy followed by radical cystectomy. A urinary diversion may be done.
External radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy.
Partial cystectomy with or without chemotherapy.
Transurethral resection with fulguration.
A clinical trial of a new treatment.

Check the list of NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage II bladder cancer and stage III bladder cancer. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. Talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website.

Stage IV Bladder Cancer

Treatment of stage IV bladder cancer that has not spread to other parts of the body may include the following:

Chemotherapy.
Radical cystectomy alone or followed by chemotherapy.
External radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy.
Urinary diversion or cystectomy as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.

Treatment of stage IV bladder cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, such as the lung, bone, or liver, may include the following:

Chemotherapy with or without local treatment (surgery or radiation therapy).
External radiation therapy as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.
Urinary diversion or cystectomy as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.
A clinical trial of new anticancer drugs.

Check the list of NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage IV bladder cancer. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. Talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website.

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