Can regular irrigation and rinsing of the bladder after surgery for bladder tumors be tolerated by people in their eighties?

Whether an 80-year-old can tolerate regular bladder irrigation therapy after bladder cancer surgery depends on the individual’s physical condition; it is usually tolerated if there are no serious complications and the person is in good health. Most bladder cancers are non-muscle invasive bladder cancers, and transurethral cystectomy of bladder tumors is the main treatment option. However, the postoperative tumor residual rate is not optimistic, and there are also uncertainties about the number of tumors, their sizes, grades, and carcinoma in situ. Some studies claim that the recurrence and progression rates within 1 year after surgery can reach 15%-61% and 1%-17%, respectively. Surgery combined with intravesical adjuvant bladder perfusion therapy is the mainstay of treatment for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer both at home and abroad, which can effectively reduce the recurrence rate and kill the free tumor tissues/cells after surgery. Usually, after transurethral cystectomy, chemotherapy is recommended immediately; for some patients, maintenance cystoinfusion chemotherapy/immunotherapy is also needed, which lasts for about 1-3 years (e.g., weekly cystoinfusion chemotherapy for the first 8 weeks, and then monthly cystoinfusion chemotherapy thereafter). Intravesical instillation is a localized treatment, usually using immunostimulant drugs such as BCG or chemotherapeutic drugs such as epirubicin, which is usually tolerated with less irritation and effects on the body. If the patient has coagulation abnormalities or severe heart or brain disease, he or she will need to be stabilized for complications before receiving treatment. If bladder tumor is suspected or diagnosed, it is recommended to go to a regular hospital for a comprehensive assessment of the condition, follow the doctor’s instructions to cooperate with the treatment, and choose the appropriate treatment plan to avoid delaying the condition.