• Blood in the urine
• Painful urination
• Frequent urination
• Urgent urination
• Urinary incontinence
• Pain in the abdominal area
• Pain in the lower back

• Urine analysis, also called urine cytology
• Imaging tests like X-ray, a CT urogram or retrograde pyelogram
• An internal physical examination
• Cystoscopy in which a narrow tube with an inbuilt camera is inserted in your bladder through your urethra
• A biopsy of a small sample of your bladder tissue to check for cancer

• CT scan
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Positron emission tomography (PET)
• Bone scan
• Chest X-ray

• Just like other cancers, bladder cancer can be staged from 0 to IV. The lowest stages means the cancer is still in the inner layers of the bladder and haven’t spread to the muscular bladder wall. Stage IV means the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or organs in the other areas of the body.
• After histopathology, the nature or the grade of bladder cancer will be determined. Bladder cancer can be graded as either low or high grade.
• The cells of low-grade bladder cancer are very much like normal cells and they are slow-growing and less likely to spread. High-grade bladder cancer cells are abnormal-looking and grow more aggressively.
• Post staging and grading of the bladder cancer, Dr. Raghunath and his team will recommend an appropriate treatment plan.

• Surgery to remove the cancer cells. This may include Transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) to diagnose and remove the cancer present in the inner layers of bladder only. Doctor may remove all or a part of the bladder called Cystectomy. After a radical cystectomy, Dr. Raghunath will create a new way for urine to leave your body by either neobladder reconstruction, or by making an ileal conduit or continent urinary reservoir. Click on these links to know in detail about these procedures.
• Intravesical chemotherapy to treat cancers that are limited to the lining of the bladder but have a high risk of recurrence or progressing to a higher stage
• Systemic chemotherapy to increase the probability of a cure in a person having surgery to remove the bladder, or as a primary treatment when surgery isn't an option
• Radiation therapy to destroy cancer cells, often as a primary treatment when surgery isn't an option or isn't preferred
• Immunotherapy to trigger the body's immune system to fight cancer cells, either in the bladder or throughout the body
• Targeted therapy to treat advanced cancer when other treatments aren’t of much help.

• If diagnosed early and treated on time, bladder cancer has the highest chances of cure. Stage 1 bladder cancer have 88% cure rate. Dr. Raghunath might recommend a test to examine the inside of your urethra and bladder (cystoscopy) every three to six months for the first few years after bladder cancer treatment. After a few uneventful years, you may need a cystoscopy exam only once a year. He may recommend other tests at regular intervals as well.

Your Friendly Uro-Oncologist in Bangalore

• When you are diagnosed with Bladder cancer, you may experience disbelief, fear, anger & anxiety. This is the time to stay strong.
• My team and me are on a mission to treat patients with Bladder cancer.
• I would like to assure you that Bladder cancer if caught early can be successfully treated. I am here to support you and together we can defeat cancer.
• Do not hesitate to reach out to me or call me