How Long Can You Live With Bladder Cancer Untreated

Managing Bone Pain And Weakness

Symptoms like nausea, hot flashes, and pain can usually be relieved with medication. Some people find that complimentary treatments like acupuncture or massage help manage side effects.

Your doctor may also recommend orthopedic surgery to stabilize your bones, relieve pain, and help prevent bone fractures.

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Outlook For Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer

Many men with locally advanced prostate cancer have treatment that aims to get rid of their cancer. For some men, this treatment can be very successful and they may live for many years without their cancer coming back or causing them any problems. For others, treatment may be less successful and the cancer may come back. If this happens, you might need further treatment. Read more about the risk of your cancer coming back.

Some men with locally advanced prostate cancer will have treatment that aims to help keep their cancer under control rather than get rid of it completely. For example, if you have hormone therapy on its own, it can help to keep the cancer under control, usually for several years. And there are other treatments available if your hormone therapy stops working.

Is Bladder Cancer Treatable

Many types of therapy are used to treat bladder cancer. In general, the treatment pathway chosen depends on the type and stage of bladder cancer present and a patients overall health and individual preferences. Common treatment options include:

• Surgery: to remove tumor cells and surrounding tissue. The type of surgery used depends on factors such as the size and progression of the tumor.
• Chemotherapy: which refers to the use of drugs to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be local or systemic .
• Immunotherapy: which uses naturally occurring or man-made substances to improve or bolster the bodys immune system function. Like with chemotherapy, immunotherapy may be delivered locally or systemically.
• Radiation therapy: which uses x-rays or other high-energy waves or particles to kill cancer cells.

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How To Make The Right Treatment Decision

Current expert guidelines for treatment of localized prostate carcinoma recommend potentially curative therapy for patients whose life expectancy is at least 10 years., Patients with limited life expectancy are more likely to die from health conditions other than prostate cancer. Men with a life expectancy of more than 10 years are more likely to die from progressive prostate cancer. This 10-year rule enjoys broad acceptance among urologists and radiation oncologists.,

Conservative management proved to be an acceptable treatment option for men with low-grade Gleason scores, clinically localized disease, and life expectancies of less than 10 years. Increasing age was described as a risk factor for receiving inadequate treatment for prostate cancer. Thus, older men have been shown to receive potentially curative therapy less often than younger men., Radical prostatectomy is preferred treatment in men younger than 70 years, whereas radiation therapy is applied predominantly in patients older than 70 years. Conservative therapy such as watchful waiting or androgen deprivation by luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogs is preferentially applied in men older than 80 years. Watchful waiting or hormonal therapy is used to treat 82% of men older than 80 years.

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Low Grade And High Grade Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer starts in the lining of the bladder in about 90 percent of people diagnosed with this cancer. Bladder cancer is called low grade or high grade.

• Low-grade bladder cancer means the cancer has not invaded the muscles around the bladder . People rarely die from this type of bladder cancer, it often recurs after treatment.
• High-grade bladder cancer also often recurs and has a higher chance of spreading to other parts of the body. Almost all deaths from bladder cancer result this type so it is treated more aggressively.

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Stages Of Mouth Cancer

Mouth cancer treatment is essential at its early stages. The earlier the mouth cancer is diagnosed and treated, the higher the survival rates after the treatment. There are four stages of oral cancers, as explained below:

• Stage 1

In Stage 1, the tumour has not spread to the lymph nodes, and the tumour size is less than or equal to two centimetres.

• Stage 2

When the tumour grows between two and four centimetres but has spread to the lymph nodes, it is Stage 2 oral cancer.

• Stage 3

In Stage 3, the tumour spreads to one of the lymph nodes, and the size of the tumour grows larger than four centimetres.

• Stage 4

When the tumour develops of any larger size and gets spread to the lymph nodes and other surrounding organs, the cancer is of Stage 4.

Liver Cancer Survival Rate By Stage

For each liver cancer stage, statistics are provided here that defines a general pattern of surviving with a liver cancer.

The terms used here are defined as follows:

Median survival: It is the length of time from diagnosis to the point at which half of the patients are still alive

5 year survival: It is the number of people who survive for 5 years or more after the diagnosis

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How Long Can Someone Live With Untreated Mouth Cancer

Mouth cancer or oral cancer occur in any part of the oral cavity, like the lips, two-thirds of the tongue, the inner lining of the cheeks, gums, hard palate, soft palate, pharynx, and sinuses. This type of cancer is grouped into head and neck type cancers. Oral can be perilous if it is not diagnosed and treated at the early stages. When cancer cells spread to the necks lymph nodes, oral cancer is discovered.

Symptoms Of Oral Cancer

Here are some most common symptoms of mouth cancer:

If you experience any of the above symptoms, you should immediately consult your dentist or any doctor. Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre is one of the best centres that provide effective treatment for mouth cancer.

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Where Does Bladder Cancer Most Often Spread

Lymph nodes, bones, lung, liver, and peritoneum are the most common sites of metastasis from bladder cancer. Tumors in a more advanced T category and those with atypical histologic features metastasize earlier. Tumors with atypical histologic features also have a higher frequency of peritoneal metastasis.

If A Loved One Declines Treatment

If a loved one decides to forego lung cancer treatment, it can be a difficult, heart-wrenching thing to hear. You may not be able to fully comprehend it at first. In such instances, let your loved one know that you hear them and love them, but that you need a day or two to process the news.

If you do decide you need more information, ask compassionately. Avoid judgmental questions starting with “why,” and give your loved one time to express themselves fully without interruption or displays of panic or disapproval.

In the end, there will come a time when you need to respect your loved one’s decision, however hard that may be. Acceptance will ultimately make you a better caregiver and prepare you emotionally for when your loved one is no longer with you.

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Causes And Risk Factors

Researchers dont know exactly what causes bladder cancer, but they do know what increases the risk of getting it. These risk factors range from family history to certain types of medication.

Source: Valisure

Data published in 2021 on MedRxiv by researchers from the online pharmacy Valisure and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center showed patients who took Zantac had elevated diagnosis rates of bladder, breast, prostate and thyroid cancer.

Patients should keep in mind that this data suggests a link between ranitidine and increased risk, but it doesnt prove that all people who take ranitidine will get bladder cancer.

Emotional And Spiritual Changes

Everyone will feel different emotions when they are dying. A lot depends on:

• the type of person they are
• their age
• how much support they have
• their religious and spiritual beliefs
• the experiences they have had in life

Someone dying in their 20s is likely to feel very differently from someone who is 80. And someone leaving behind young children will have different worries from someone whose children are grown up and able to take care of themselves.

As death gets closer they might begin to let go and seem more at peace with things. Others might become very anxious, fearful or angry. Some people could appear to withdraw, even from the people they love and care about. But this doesnt mean that they dont care anymore.

These events are all very normal and are a natural part of dying.

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How You Might Feel

You are likely to feel some very strong emotions during the time your relative or friend is dying. You might feel that you want to try and change what is happening. Often all you can do is give them a lot of support and comfort during this difficult time.

You might need support and help yourself, when someone close to you is dying. It could help to speak to:

• the doctor or nurses on the ward
• a religious leader
• a counsellor
• close friends and relatives

Try not to worry that you are going to do something wrong. Just being with your loved one and letting them know you love and care for them is the most important thing.

• National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence , 7 December 2016

• On Death and Dying

How Long Will You Live If You Have Bladder Cancer

The survival rate depends on the stage of cancer at diagnosis and other health issues.

Overall, 70 to 90 percent of people with localized bladder cancer will live for at least five years or more. The physician calculates this with the help of survival rates. Survival rates indicate the percentage of people who live with a certain type of cancer for a specific time. The physician often uses an overall five-year survival rate. Factors that may affect survival rate include

Table. Five-year survival rates of different stages of bladder cancer

The surveillance, epidemiology, and end results stages are taken from the SEER database, maintained by the National Cancer Institute. SEER database groups cancers into localized, regional, and distant stages.

• Localized: There is no indication that cancer has spread outside the bladder.
• Regional: Cancer has invaded the nearby structures or lymph nodes.
• Distant: Cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, such as the lungs, liver, or bones.

Thus, bladder cancer, if detected in the early stage is treatable and has higher survival rates. However, if the cancer is detected in the advanced stages, treatment becomes difficult and the survival rate is low.

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Outlook For Men With Localised Prostate Cancer

Most localised prostate cancer is slow-growing and may not need treatment or shorten a mans life. For many men who have treatment for localised prostate cancer, the treatment will get rid of the cancer. For others, treatment may be less successful and the cancer may come back. If this happens, you might need further treatment.

How Do You Pee If Your Bladder Is Removed

A urinary conduit a surgically created pathway that allows urine to exit your body doesnt store urine. After surgery, you need to wear a pouching system all the time to collect urine. Pictured is one example of a pouching system used to collect urine, which drains from an opening in your abdomen .

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Survival For All Stages Of Bladder Cancer

Generally, for people diagnosed with bladder cancer in England:

• around 75 out of every 100 survive their cancer for 1 year or more after diagnosis
• almost 55 out of every 100 survive their cancer for 5 years or more after they are diagnosed
• around 45 out of every 100 survive their cancer for 10 years or more after diagnosis

Cancer survival by stage at diagnosis for England, 2019Office for National Statistics

These statistics are for net survival. Net survival estimates the number of people who survive their cancer rather than calculating the number of people diagnosed with cancer who are still alive. In other words, it is the survival of cancer patients after taking into account that some people would have died from other causes if they had not had cancer.

Survival Rates For Bladder Cancer

Survival rates can give you an idea of what percentage of people with the same type and stage of cancer are still alive a certain amount of time after they were diagnosed. They cant tell you how long you will live, but they may help give you a better understanding of how likely it is that your treatment will be successful.

Keep in mind that survival rates are estimates and are often based on previous outcomes of large numbers of people who had a specific cancer, but they cant predict what will happen in any particular persons case. These statistics can be confusing and may lead you to have more questions. Talk with your doctor about how these numbers may apply to you, as he or she is familiar with your situation.

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Risk Factors For Bladder Cancer

There are some things that can make you more likely to develop bladder cancer. These are called risk factors and they include:

• smoking chemicals in cigarettes can cause bladder cancer, so if you smoke, your risk is up to three times that of a non-smoker
• age most people with bladder cancer are over 60 years of age
• family history a first degree relative with bladder cancer increases risk up to nearly 2 times higher than the general population
• chemicals being in contact with certain chemicals for a long period of time, like aromatic amines, benzene products and aniline dyes, which have been linked to bladder cancer
• frequent infections of the bladder over a long period of time
• some types of radiation therapy around the pelvis, and the chemotherapy drug cyclophosphamide.

Having these risk factors doesnt mean you will develop bladder cancer. Often there is no clear reason for getting bladder cancer. If you are worried about your risk factors, ask your doctor for advice.

Loss Of Bladder And Bowel Control

The dying person might lose control of their bladder and bowel. This happens because the muscles in these areas relax and dont work as they did. This can be distressing to see and you might worry that they may feel embarrassed. The nursing staff will do all they can to protect the bed and keep your relative or friend as clean and comfortable as possible.

If you are caring for the person at home, the district nurses and specialist nurses can arrange for you to have protective sheets or pads for the bed. They might also be able to arrange a laundry service for you, if necessary. As people become very close to death and are not eating or drinking, the amount of urine and stools they produce gets less and less.

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Medical Fitness For Chemotherapy

Before considering palliative chemotherapy for metastatic bladder cancer, all patients should be evaluated for medical fitness for chemotherapy. The assessment should incorporate medical and physiologic considerations and include evaluation of renal and cardiac function, as well as performance status. A medical fitness assessment stratifies patients into medically fit or unfit patients, and this classification is used to determine treatment options.

Table 1. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status Definitions

Michael J. Zelefsky MD, … Jonathan E. Rosenberg MD, in, 2010

Living With Advanced Cancer

Advanced cancer usually means cancer that is unlikely to be cured. Some people can live for many months or years with advanced cancer. During this time palliative care services can help.

Most people continue to have treatment for advanced cancer as part of palliative care, as it helps manage the cancer and improve their day-to-day lives. Many people think that palliative care is for people who are dying but palliative care is for any stage of advanced cancer. There are doctors, nurses and other people who specialise in palliative care.

Treatment may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy or another type of treatment. It can help in these ways:

• slow down how fast the cancer is growing
• shrink the cancer
• help you to live more comfortably by managing symptoms, like pain.

Treatment depends on:

• how far it has spread
• your general health

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Talking To Andrews Doctor

For fifteen months, Andrew responded really well to treatment and was feeling reasonably good. But then he developed a very bad spinal cord compression. He was unable to walk and at that point it was clear that things were very serious. He spent nearly a month in hospital and his consultant told us that the cancer was back with a vengeance and that they wanted to fast track him home.

Andrew didnt want to know how long he might have. I know that he knew what the score was but that he just didnt want to speak about it.

Andrew didnt want to know how long he might have.

I asked Andrews doctor how long he might live for. She told me that she could give me some indication of how long Andrew might live for if I wanted to know. I wasnt sure that I wanted to know if Andrew didnt it might have created a barrier between us.

I wanted to know what I should expect. But I wasnt sure that I wanted to know how long Andrew would live for if he didnât know.

But I wanted to know what I should expect. I needed to plan what was going to happen when he came home, the arrangements that would need to be made and whether I needed to speak to other members of our family and friends. At this point I think I felt quite out of control, so speaking to the consultant was my way of regaining some of that control and it helped me to plan for his homecoming.

Its difficult to accept that cancer takes its own route at its own pace.

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