What is recurrent bladder cancer?

What is non-muscle invasive bladder cancer recurrence?

What are the causes and risk factors for bladder cancer recurrence?

How do you know if bladder cancer has recurred? How will your healthcare professional monitor for recurrence?

How is recurrent non-muscle invasive bladder cancer treated?

Your bladder cancer has recurred. What can you do and where can you find support?

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How do you know if bladder cancer has recurred? How will your healthcare professional monitor for recurrence?

Because bladder cancer survivors have a high
risk of recurrence, follow up examinations
become an important part of the treatment
plan. Most doctors will recommend that you have a follow-up exam on a regular basis.
This visit will probably include a test such as a cystoscopy (which is when your doctor will look inside your bladder and urethra using a thin, lighted instrument called a cystoscope) and cytology (a microscopic examination of cells floating in the urine). Your doctor can usually see any recurrent tumors using this technique.

If your doctor sees anything suspicious during cystoscopy, he or she may want to further examine it.  The tissue will be analyzed by a pathologist to determine if it is recurrent bladder cancer. In some cases, your doctor may want to biopsy tissue from different parts of your bladder, even if your cystoscopy reveals no abnormal-appearing areas.  If so, this tissue would also be analyzed by a pathologist to determine if your bladder cancer has returned.  If you have a recurrence, your doctor’s treatment recommendations are based on the tumor’s stage and other factors.