BLADDER AND KIDNEY CANCER

Early determination of how far the cancer has spread is key to selecting the most appropriate treatment and PET Scanning can help.

Bladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer Canada, excluding certain skin cancers. There will be about 5,000 new cases of bladder cancer diagnosed in Canada and 4,000 new cases of kidney cancer. There will also be about 1,500 deaths from bladder cancer and 1,450 from kidney cancer.

Bladder and kidney tumours are grouped into several types by the way they appear under a microscope. In fact, it is not unusual for patients with bladder cancer to have a similar type of cancer in the lining of the kidneys, ureters, or urethra. This is why a complete evaluation of the urinary system is recommended to evaluate these patients. Like most cancers, these are most difficult to treat once it has spread to other parts of the body.

Early Diagnosis and Detection

Abnormalities in the bladder and kidneys may be detected through physical exam, imaging tests of bladder or kidney function, or by tests on your urine or blood. Most often by the times symptoms become apparent, the cancer is beyond its earliest stage. PET scanning can help, by determining the stage of the cancer immediately after it is found, so that the most appropriate therapy can be given.

The PET scan can accurately detect the cancer and see how far it may have spread. Call your physician or CareImaging PET Scan Clinic in Ontario for information about whether you might be a candidate for PET or to schedule a PET Scan.

Treatment Follow-Up and Cancer Recurrence

Your doctor will schedule you for routine follow-up visits, depending on the stage of the cancer. Your doctors may order follow up imaging tests or second look surgeries. If the cancer does return, it is important that additional treatment begin immediately.

PET is the most useful test that you can have when doctors are staging or re-staging your cancer because it is more accurate than CT or any other test.

Imaging with PET is also critical to looking to see if the cancer has returned. Before PET, it was extremely difficult to monitor patients to see if the cancer had come back. Earlier imaging tests might not see the cancer as sensitively as PET, which could result in a delay of further treatment.

PET can be used to image tumour response to therapy and to detect recurrence in successfully treated lesions. Post surgery and other treatments, PET is extremely important to monitor to see if the cancer cells have returned and if treatment should be re-started.

Find the support you need

Find the support and information you need. If you've had cancer, there are programs offering information and support. The stress of any illness can often be helped by joining a support group where members share common experiences and problems.

Support programs exist in a variety of formats, including counseling, support groups, and self-help programs. For those who cannot attend meetings, there are also on-line mechanisms that may allow a patient to "chat" with other people facing similar situations. These types of programs can provide a way for you to relate your experience firsthand with others and may provide treatment-related tips about drug side-effects that will be helpful to you.

More Information About Bladder and Kidney Cancer:

Canadian Cancer Society
Cancer Care Ontario