Bladder Cancer
Treatment in Malaysia
At Onco Life Centre, our team takes a personalized approach to treating bladder cancer. We focus not only on treating the disease, but also on supporting the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of our patients every step of the way.
The urinary tract is made up of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. The bladder is lined with a layer of cells called the urothelium, which is separated from the bladder wall muscles by a thin, fibrous band called the lamina propria. Bladder cancer is a common type of cancer that most often begins in the (urothelial cells) that line the inside of the bladder.
Why Choose Onco Life Centre?
Expertise You Can Trust, Innovation You Can Count On
Over 20 Years of
Experience
Our highly-qualified consultant oncologists boast extensive experience treating a vast array of cancers. Their training at prestigious institutions in Australia and the UK ensures exceptional expertise that you can trust.
Collaboration with
Leading Genomics Experts
For complex cases, our oncologists collaborate with leading genomics specialists in the US. This ensures access to the latest treatments for all cancer types.
Unmatched
patient experience
You and your healthcare experience are at the centre of what we do at Onco Life Centre. Our core values of Empathy, Dedication, Professionalism and Service Quality have driven us since our earliest days.
Treatment Methods
Talk to our bladder cancer oncologists at Onco Life Centre about your treatment options. The main treatments for bladder cancer are surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and radiation therapy. Often the best approach uses 2 or more of these treatment methods. It is important that you understand the goal of your treatment. If a cure is not possible, treatment is aimed at relieving symptoms such as pain.
Transurethral bladder tumor resection may be able to eliminate non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
Radical cystectomy and lymph node dissection is the removal of the whole bladder. For men, the prostate and urethra also may be removed. For women, the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, and part of the vagina may be removed. For all patients, lymph nodes in the pelvis are removed, called pelvic lymph node dissection. If the bladder is removed, a section of the small intestine or colon will be used to divert urine to a stoma on the outside of the body.
The types of systemic therapies used for bladder cancer include Chemotherapy, Immunotherapy and Targeted therapy.
Chemotherapy for bladder cancer can be intravesical or systemic. During intravesical chemotherapy, drugs are delivered into the bladder through a catheter that has been inserted through the urethra to destroy superficial tumor cells that come in contact with the chemotherapy solution. In systemic chemotherapy, a combination of drugs works better than 1 drug alone.
Immunotherapy for bladder cancer is designed to boost the body’s natural defenses to fight the cancer. Immune checkpoint inhibitors block a protein called PD-1. PD-1 is found on the surface of T cells and keeps the immune system from destroying cancer cells. Thus, stopping PD-1 from working allows the immune system to better eliminate the cancer. These are new treatments for bladder cancer approved by the US-FDA. Neoadjuvant immunotherapy for bladder cancer is administered before surgery to reduce the size of the tumor. Adjuvant immunotherapy for bladder cancer may be used after surgery to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back. Our bladder cancer specialists will be able to advise on the use of adjuvant and neoadjuvant immunotherapy.
Targeted therapy for bladder cancer targets the cancer’s specific genes, proteins, or the tissue environment that contributes to cancer growth and survival to block the growth and spread of cancer cells while limiting damage to healthy cells. A type of targeted therapy for metastatic bladder cancer (eg. for patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma with FGFR3 or FGFR2 genetic mutations) has been approved for use after receiving platinum chemotherapy.
The most common type of radiation treatment for bladder cancer is called external-beam radiation therapy. Combined radiation therapy and chemotherapy may be used to treat cancer that is located only in the bladder to destroy any cancer cells that may remain after TURBT, to relieve symptoms caused by a tumor, such as pain, bleeding, or blockage, to treat brain or bone metastasis.
Stages of Bladder Cancer
Stage 1 bladder cancer
The cancer has grown through the inner lining of the bladder and only into the lamina propria.
Stage 2 bladder cancer
The cancer has spread into the thick muscle wall of the bladder. It is also called muscle-invasive cancer.
Stage 3 bladder cancer
The cancer has spread through the muscle wall into the tissues around the bladder.
- Stage 3a: The tumor has grown into the perivesical tissue or has spread into the prostate, uterus, or vagina.
- Stage 3b: The cancer has spread into 2 or more regional lymph nodes.
Stage 4 bladder cancer
The tumor has spread into the pelvic wall or abdominal wall, or to lymph nodes outside of the pelvis or to other parts of the body.
Transparency You Can Trust
At Onco Life Centre, we understand the financial burden associated with Bladder Cancer treatment. We are committed to transparency and will provide you with a personalized cost estimate during your initial consultation. Here is an estimate:
Chemotherapy
The cost for treating bladder cancer using chemotherapy for most of our patients is around MYR5,000 per cycle.
Immunotherapy
The cost of bladder cancer immunotherapy can range from MYR10,000 and above depending on the specific type and dosage of immunotherapy drugs used.
Types of bladder cancer
The main types of bladder cancer are:
Urothelial carcinoma
Accounts for about 90% of all bladder cancers and is also called transitional cell carcinoma.
Squamous cell carcinoma
Accounts for about 4% of all bladder cancers.
Adenocarcinoma
Accounts for about 2% of all bladder cancers and develops from glandular cells.
Sarcoma and small cell bladder cancer
These are much less common types of bladder cancer.
Bladder cancer may be described as non-muscle-invasive or muscle-invasive.
Non-muscle-invasive
Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer typically has grown only into the lamina propria and not into muscle, also called stage I.
Muscle-invasive
Muscle-invasive bladder cancer has grown into the bladder’s wall muscle and into the surrounding tissue outside the bladder.
Symptoms and Signs
- Blood or blood clots in the urine
- Pain or burning sensation during urination
- Frequent urination
- Feeling the need to urinate many times throughout the night
- Feeling the need to urinate, but not being able to pass urine
- Lower back pain
- Unexplained appetite loss, and weight loss
Diagnosis of bladder cancer
Cystoscopy can detect growths in the bladder and determine the need for a biopsy or surgery.
Biopsy, If abnormal tissue is found during a cystoscopy, a biopsy will be carried out
Transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT)
allows the removal of the tumor and a sample of the bladder muscle near the tumor. TURBT is used to diagnose bladder cancer and find out the type of tumor, how deeply it has grown into the layers of the bladder, and identify any additional microscopic cancerous changes, called carcinoma in situ.
Your Journey
Start Your Recovery
Our dedicated Patient Navigator will assist you with appointment scheduling. Contact us at +6012-3993260 (Call or Whatsapp ).
First Consultation
On appointment day, bring along all the medical reports and your identity documents, ie. identity card or passport. Our team will help you organize the medical reports for our oncologist to review. Our oncologist will discuss the treatment plan with you. Tele-consult is available for overseas patients.
Treatment Day
Come to our center on an agreed date and time for the treatment. Our team will take good care of you. You will be discharged on the same day. Yes, you will get to go home after every treatment visit as no overnight admission is required.
Stay on Track
Our dedicated patient navigator will be following up with you post treatment to check on your condition, to ensure that you are doing well. You will receive a reminder message on your phone for the next appointment date.
Credentials You Can Trust
Ministry of Health Malaysia
Onco Life Centre is fully licensed as an Oncology Consultation and Treatment Centre (License No: 931401-00214-03/2024)
DR. CHRISTINA NG VAN TZE
MBBS (MELB), FELLOW RACP (AUS)
DR. JOSEPH KANIANTHRA JOSEPH
MBBCH, BAO (IRE), MRCP (UK)
I have been coming to OncoLife centre with my mother. She is under the care of Dr Christina since diagnosis and has been on targeted therapy and is doing well. Dr Christina Ng has been guiding my mum through her treatment and is quick to suggest changes if needed. She is also very ready to hear our concerns and will always take our preference into consideration. Communication with the staff is good and we can readily ask them questions at any time. The atmosphere of the clinic is also pleasant which makes waiting around not such a chore. Parking is readily available in the building. Overall, Onco Life is very patient centred and I am very thankful to Dr Christina and her team for the support they have given my mum and the family.
My mother was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer about 6 months ago at a hospital in KL. We were all very scared, worried and felt very lost at the same time. A friend suggested that we seek advice from Dr Christina Ng at Onco Life Centre. During our first consultation, Dr Christina had explained patiently to us that my mother has stage 4 pancreatic cancer, and it has spread to her liver and lung. She had suggested for my mother to promptly start on combination chemotherapy. We were initially worried about chemotherapy side effects. Dr Christina had explained to us that she would carefully select drugs which my mother would likely tolerate well. Much to our surprise, my mother was very well & energetic throughout her chemotherapy course. After 3 months of chemotherapy, she did a CT scan which showed a significant reduction in all tumor deposits in pancreas, liver, lungs & peritoneum. We are grateful towards Dr Christina Ng & her Team for giving us a great hope.
My husband was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer more than one year ago. He started treatment at another hospital but his condition worsened and he became fully dependent on oxygen support over 6 months. That was when we became very anxious and worried. We wanted to seek a second opinion and thus found Dr Christina Ng at Onco Life Centre. Dr Christina immediately adjusted his immunotherapy treatment protocol whilst actively treating his worsening infection. After 4 months under the care of Dr Christina, his condition has improved significantly and he is now totally off oxygen support. We are grateful that he is being given a new lease of life.
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