Issues In Bladder Cancer Research

By Minnie Whitley


One of the priorities in medicine today is finding causes of diseases. Research has to be conducted in order to establish the real causes of diseases. Bladder cancer research is one of the most seriously carried out researches in this field. Doctors are working hard to totally finish this disease. They are concerned with DNA changes in cells, adoption of urinal tests in diagnosing affected cells, getting rid of bladder cancer, and modern tactics of handling this type of cancer.

Research on changes in the DNA of bladder cancer cells has made it easier for scientist to understand the prognosis of those infected with cancer. It has also helped them deal with bad cells that come up again after treating the patient.

Researchers are also concerned with carrying out urine tests in diagnosing this cancer. They specifically look for a substance called telomerase which is usually found in large amounts in cancer patients. The urinal test also helps check for recurrence in patients who have already been treated.

Bladder cancer patients are always at a risk of developing cancerous cells in the same or other places. Research is, therefore, currently concerned with looking for ways of completely eliminating the cells. Among the things they are doing to this effect include; use of certain foods, chemotherapy and certain specific drugs. They are also involving vaccines in preventing recurrence of cancerous cells.

New Surgical methods are also being applied by surgeons in removing unwanted cells. A group of surgeons use artificial hands in carrying out surgery. Unlike in normal surgery, surgeons make small incisions on patients. They then use these incisions in carrying out operations. Since patients have small wounds on their bodies, they take less time to heal as compared to normal surgery. This method is still being tried out on bladder cancer, but has been very successful in other types of the same disease. Doctors have also come up with another type of drug that can be put in the affected area to reduce the probability of recurrence.

Photodynamic therapy is another method being applied in treating cancerous cells while still in their initial stages of development. A drug that quickly responds to light is introduced into the cancerous cells, and after some days, laser light is concentrated on the interior regions of affected bladder. Light changes the drug to a chemical that denatures affected cells. The therapy gets rid of cancerous cells and does not have a lot of negative effects on normal cells. This method, however, only treats cells located on the anterior part of the bladder, and worse still, can cause severe burns if the this part of the body meets too much light.

Targeted therapy is another treatment being used by doctors in treatment of affected cells. It is mainly the use of medicine that specifically focuses on changes in these cells due to cancer. Some drugs target blood vessels which bring about cancerous cells and when treated they reduce the versatility.

The last treatment method is gene therapy. It involves changing the genetic composition of cancerous cells. Altering the genetic composition of cells rids them of cancer. This therapy is still being tested to see whether it is effective for treating all types of cancer or can only treat some types of the same disease.




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