Cancerwise

Getting an accurate diagnosis is critical to determining the most appropriate treatment for any disease.

But with bladder cancer, that first step is particularly important, because a cystectomy — or surgery to remove the entire bladder — is an essential part of many recommended treatment plans.

Medical oncologist Matthew Campbell, M.D., and urologic oncologist Ashish Kamat, M.D., weighed in on this topic during a recent Cancerwise podcast.

Here are three other reasons they gave for why an accurate bladder cancer diagnosis really matters.

Bladder cancer is frequently misdiagnosed

“Even today, patients are often referred late to a urologist for a diagnostic workup, because blood in the urine is mistakenly attributed to other things, such as UTIs or even the menstrual cycle,” Kamat notes.

That means bladder cancer may not be caught until it’s more advanced. This makes treatment more challenging — and needing bladder removal more likely.

“Additionally, even when the diagnosis is timely, tumors can be missed,” Kamat adds. “So, we use enhanced technology to examine the bladder when we do a cystoscopy, such as higher-definition scopes and blue light technology.”