Chemotherapy or surgery first for bladder cancer

Whether bladder cancer is treated with chemotherapy or surgery first depends on the patient’s physical condition and bladder tumor. Early bladder cancer can be treated by transurethral resection of the tumor and then by bladder infusion of chemotherapy drugs, which can prevent recurrence. For mid-stage bladder cancer, it is possible that the tumor cannot be completely removed considering the incomplete resection during surgery. 2-3 courses of chemotherapy, called neoadjuvant chemotherapy, can be administered before surgery, which can achieve complete removal of the tumor after surgery. In advanced prostate cancer, there is usually no chance of surgery, so generally only chemotherapy can be used. There are also some patients who are found to have lesions that are not completely removed or have lymph node metastases after surgery, so they can also be treated with adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery.