Bladder Cancer Survivorship Support

Survivorship Support for Bladder Cancer Patients

Studies have shown that a significant percentage of bladder cancer survivors deal with chronic health problems that may be related to their cancer treatment. The most commonly cited problems are chronic pain, fatigue, cognitive impairment and depression.

Promoting optimal health begins with your first visit to Cancer Treatment Cemters of America. Many patients arrive at CTCA experiencing side effects that have gone untreated. After a thorough self-assessment is taken to obtain a baseline measurement of how you are feeling and which side effects you are experiencing, the bladder cancer Survivorship Support team begins planning for all issues related to your upcoming treatment.

Early Intervention for Bladder Cancer Survivors

With every cancer type and every treatment approach, there are a few predictable results for long-term and late side effects. We help our patients and their caregivers plan for those risks.

We believe that early intervention yields better results for patients, and that proactively planning for long-term side effects can improve your strength and support healing. The goal of our bladder cancer Survivorship Support Program is to provide you with options, and develop a treatment plan accordingly.

Survivorship Support treatment planning takes into consideration, and plans for, the possibility of three categories of side effects:

• Short-term: nausea, low blood count, hair loss, weight loss, etc.
• Long-term: surgical scar tissue, neuropathy, impotence, etc.
• Late Effects: secondary tumors, premature aging like osteoporosis and emotional and interpersonal issues.

Survivorship Support provides you with options. Sometimes, it’s as simple as education that teaches you to cope with a potential side effect of bladder cancer treatment, like impotence or urinary incontinence. Other times, we’ll conduct more in-depth research to identify available options and how they might fit your needs. Our team continually works to educate you about how you can optimize your health throughout your journey.

Reducing Recurrence Risk 

The possibility of cancer recurring is a major concern in bladder cancer. New tumors may arise in other parts of the bladder following treatment, or may occur in the urinary tract, which includes the lining of the kidneys, ureters and urethra.

There are no proven ways to prevent cancer from recurring. Healthy behaviors—such as not smoking, eating well, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight—are recommended, but even these measures may not stop cancer from returning.

Currently, studies are exploring whether certain vitamins, minerals, dietary supplements, chemotherapy drugs or other medications can lower the chances of bladder cancer recurring. In addition, it may be that strengthening the immune system with a vaccine can lower the risk of recurrence. However, none of these approaches have been confirmed to work, and more time is needed to evaluate their potential benefit.

Your CTCA care team will discuss any recommended measures that bladder cancer survivors can take that may help lower the risk of developing bladder cancer again. Although no measures have been proven to be effective, it may be worthwhile to adopt certain lifestyle changes, especially those that may help prevent other illnesses and enhance your overall well-being.

Continued Care from A Distance

Because it may not always make logistical or financial sense for our bladder cancer survivors to travel to CTCA for post-treatment care, we have more than 1,500 “Care Partners” throughout the United States. These practitioners are familiar with CTCA and our philosophy of patient-centered care. They work with us to improve the lives of our patients. Our community care partners throughout the country include: oncologists, internists, chiropractors, family physicians, physical therapists, massage therapists and psychologists.

Every patient has a choice about whether or not to participate in the Survivorship Support Program. If you choose not to participate and change your mind later, you can always join the program at any time in the future.

The bladder cancer Survivorship Support team at CTCA is trained by the National Cancer Institute’s Survivorship Program. The team serves on the NCI’s panel and assists other medical institutions across the country in developing their survivorship programs.