Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer occurs when irregular cells grow in the bladder. It affects men about three times more often than women and occurs most often in people over 65. At BJC HealthCare, our team offers expert, personalized bladder cancer care.
Why choose us for bladder cancer?
BJC HealthCare offers excellent care for bladder cancer, at any stage. Our Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine, along with its five satellite locations, is designated a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). In addition to Siteman locations, BJC HealthCare offers comprehensive and convenient care in locations across the region. Our Missouri Baptist Medical Center program is nationally accredited by the Commission on Cancer (CoC).
We combine a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach, research, and clinical excellence in locations designed by patients, doctors, and nurses. Decades of experience has taught us that when treating cancer, comfort and compassion are just as important as the science of medicine.
Our physicians can help, whether you have a recent bladder cancer diagnosis or are experiencing suspicious symptoms. Patients come to us because we offer:
- Compassionate care: Bladder problems can be uncomfortable to talk about. Our specialists listen closely to you to provide compassionate, advanced, and timely care personalized to your needs.
- Leding-edge treatments: The Siteman urological cancer team is one of the most experienced in the nation in nerve-sparing bladder removal and creating neobladders. Neobladders are replacement bladders made of intestinal tissue. Instead of creating an opening in the skin to redirect urine, the surgeon places the new bladder where the cancerous bladder was removed. This technique allows both men and women to achieve better bladder control after surgery.
- East access to exceptional cancer care: You have easy access to treatment at Siteman Cancer Center, an international leader in cancer treatment, research, prevention, education, and community outreach. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks Siteman among the best in the nation. Patients with bladder cancer can receive top treatment close to home with access to all of the clinical trials and expertise available through Siteman.
The Siteman approach to bladder cancer
Our urological cancer team is one of the most experienced in the world in performing nerve-sparing bladder removal and creating neobladders, replacement bladders made out of intestinal tissue.
How is bladder cancer treated?
Patients from all over the country choose our team for bladder cancer treatment. Whenever possible, we seek to preserve the bladder while also successfully treating the cancer.
Our team creates patient-centered care plans that incorporate the latest medical advances, including:
- New medications that can be placed directly in the bladder
- Sophisticated bladder removal surgeries designed to spare nerves and preserve function
Artificial bladders, or neobladders, created from intestinal tissue
Siteman is pioneering the use of robotic surgery for bladder cancer. Robotic approaches allow us to maintain high cure rates while decreasing surgical pain. Medical oncologists at Siteman are continually investigating new and innovative treatments through clinical trials.
Clinical trials at BJC HealthCare