Bladder Cancer Treatment

Bladder cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the bladder. The first targeted therapy for bladder cancer was approved by the FDA in 2019. Treatment options depend on the stage of bladder cancer. Four types of standard treatment are used: surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. Intravesical (within the bladder) therapy, one type of immunotherapy, involves the instillation of an agent or biologic into the bladder. The use of intravesical therapy has been associated with improved survival for individuals with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. There have been no significant increases in the use of intravesical therapy for patients diagnosed with non-muscle invasive in the most recent time period, while use of intravesical therapy has increased significantly in the most recent time period for those diagnosed with muscle-invasive and metastatic disease. There have been no significant increases in the use of systemic therapy for patients diagnosed with non-muscle invasive in the most recent time period, while use of systemic therapy has increased significantly in the most recent time period for those diagnosed with muscle-invasive and metastatic disease. For the bladder cancer treatment figures presented here, please note that Ta G1-2 means non-invasive papillary carcinoma (Ta) that is Grade 1 (well differentiated) or Grade 2 (moderately differentiated). This is a subgroup of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.