Specialties
Bladder cancer
Overview
- Fourth most common cancer among men.
- Ninth most common cancer among women.
- More than 50,000 new cases of bladder cancer are detected each year.
- Can be treated without major surgery.
- Early detection is vital.
- The earliest clue of a bladder tumor is blood in the urine.
Detecting bladder cancer
- Intravenous Pyelogram (IVP) is a test that allows the urologist to see images of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder.
- cystoscopy allows the urologoist to view the lining of the bladder and remove tissue samples for biopsy.
- Urinary cytology is where the urine is viewed under a microscope to search for cancer cells.
Treatment of bladder cancer
- Superficial: located in the bladder lining (epithelium), treated with tumor removal; medication in bladder.
- Invasive: cancer in the epithelium and extending into deeper layers; treated with removal of the bladder, chemotherapy. Radiation therapy is more frequently used in Europe than in the U.S.
- Metastatic (cancer has spread): Spreading beyond the bladder (lymph nodes, liver, lungs, etc); treated with chemotherapy.
UC Davis urologic oncologists
Ralph W. deVere White, M.D.
Professor
Director, UC Davis Cancer Center
Assistant Dean for Cancer, UC Davis School of Medicine
Christopher P. Evans, M.D.
Professor and Chair
Theresa Koppie, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Marc Dall'Era, M.D.
Assistant Professor
How to schedule an appointment with a UC Davis urologic oncologist
To make an appointment, whether a new or returning patient, with a urologic oncologist please call the UC Davis Cancer Center appointment line at (916) 734-5900.