Treatments

Understanding your
treatment options

A bladder cancer diagnosis can mean many things and is as individual as you are. This means that there is no standard path through bladder cancer treatment. Your medical team will recommend different treatment options specific to your diagnosis. Sometimes this might mean you have to make a choice about which treatment to have.

Most people need time to reflect on new information given to them and do their own research before making a decision.

This section looks at the different treatments given for bladder cancer. The information has been written by patients and medical professionals to help you to make the right choices for you. It explains technical words and exactly what happens during procedures and recovery afterwards. You can find out more about the three different treatment categories below.

In-bladder treatments

Find out what happens during a TURBT and BCG. We share common side effects and recovery tips.

Bladder removal

Discover what’s involved in a radical cystectomy surgical procedure and how to decide between a stoma or neobladder.

Whole-body treatments

A quick guide to radiotherapy, chemotherapy and other whole-body treatments for bladder cancer.

New treatments

A great deal of research is underway to develop knowledge in the fight against bladder cancer; new studies are being established, and new treatments are being offered. There are new clinical trials of immunotherapy and targeted therapy drugs for advanced cancer. Find out more about all these options on our new treatments page.