Trans-Urethral Resection of Bladder Tumors

A trans-urethral resection of bladder tumor procedure is used both to determine whether a patient has bladder cancer and, in cases of early-stage cancer that has not spread to the muscle of the bladder wall, to treat the cancer without needing to make an abdominal incision. Using a special type of cystoscope that is introduced to the bladder via the urethra, the physician removes abnormal tissues that are then sent to a lab for biopsy. He or she may also employ a laser or heat therapy to destroy the cells around the base of the tumor as a preventive measure against cancerous tissue that may remain. Unfortunately, even after a cancerous bladder tumor has been completely excised, bladder cancer has a high rate of recurrence at other locations within the organ and may therefore require additional treatments.