Urological surgery

Transurethral resection of bladder tumor is a surgical procedure used for both diagnosis and treatment of early-stage bladder cancer. This form of bladder cancer typically has not invaded the bladder wall. Bladder cancer is diagnosed almost four times more frequently in men than in women. During the operation, a urologist removes the visible tumor, which is then sent to a pathology laboratory for analysis.

After the tumor is removed, the doctor attempts to destroy any remaining cancer cells by burning the area with electric current, a process called fulguration or cauterization. Resection is considered a successful treatment for bladder cancer detected in its early stages, and it may prevent the cancer from invading the bladder wall. However, bladder cancer often recurs, so regular follow-up appointments with a urologist, which may include cystoscopy (internal examination of the bladder), are necessary after surgery. If the histologic examination of the removed tumor during surgery reveals advanced bladder cancer, further treatment will likely be needed. (Cleveland Clinic, 2023)

In some cases, photodynamic diagnosis (PDD) may also be used. This is a method where a photosensitive drug is placed in the bladder before surgery. Cells in the bladder lining, including cancer cells, have a higher metabolism than normal urothelial cells and absorb this drug, which is then activated by blue light during cystoscopy. This enables the surgeon to distinguish cancerous cells from normal cells and detect flat lesions and small papillomas that may be missed under white light cystoscopy. (Medscape, 2023)