Bladder Cancer Treatment

What is Bladder Cancer?

Bladder cancer occurs when cells in the bladder tissue become cancerous.  This can be due to transitional cells in the lining of the bladder becoming cancerous, or less commonly due to squamous cells or glandular cells growing and multiplying in the bladder when they aren’t supposed to.  This article will address treatment options and prevention of bladder cancer, and how Chinese Medicine can help.

Bladder Cancer Treatment

Bladder Cancer Treatment:

Bladder cancer is classified into stages zero to four, from localised to more spread-out areas of cancer.  Treatment options for bladder cancer will depend on what stage your cancer is at, your symptoms and your health overall.

Immunotherapy is when you take a medication to make your immune system attack cancer cells.  If you have stage zero or one bladder cancer you may be advised to have immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery to remove the tumour from the bladder.  Bladder cancer treatment for stage 2 and 3 cancers may involve surgery to remove part of the bladder or the whole bladder (called radical cystectomy), which is followed by surgery to create a new opening for urine to leave the body.  Immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy may be used to decrease the size of the tumour before surgery, to target the remaining cancer cells after surgery, or treat cancer when surgery isn’t possible.

Stage 4 bladder cancer treatment may include options like radical cystectomy, chemotherapy without surgery, immunotherapy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy after surgery, or even clinical trial medications.

Bladder Cancer Treatment

Bladder Cancer Prevention:

To increase the likelihood of preventing bladder cancer, you can pursue lifestyle behaviours like avoiding smoking and exposure to cancer-causing chemicals, as well as drinking a good amount of water and maintaining a healthy diet.

Bladder Cancer Outlook:

Your outlook if you have bladder cancer will depend on many factors including the type and stage of the cancer, and your overall health.  The five-year survival rates as given by the American Cancer Society are 98% for stage zero bladder cancer, 88% for stage one cancer, 63% for stage two cancer, 46% for stage three cancer and 15% for stage four cancer.  However, there are treatment options available for any stage of bladder cancer.

Chinese Medicine for Bladder Cancer: How Can We Help?

Traditional Chinese Medicine is an excellent option for treating many diseases including bladder cancer, because it helps the body to regain its natural functions and rarely has any side effects.  In Chinese Medicine, the organs are connected to each other, and work together to control different functions.  The bladder works with the kidneys to control urination, bone health and brain functions, and a weakness or imbalance in one of these organs may cause symptoms in those areas.  Symptoms may include urination problems, bone weaknesses and brain fog, among others.  The aim of Chinese Medicine is to bring the affected organ back into balance, using techniques like acupuncture.  Then the body can return to its healthy functioning state.

Bladder Cancer Treatment

While Chinese Medicine can help to keep the bladder healthy, we can also help if you’ve already had other cancer treatments like surgery or chemotherapy.  These treatments often come along with side effects including pain, weakened immune system and nausea.  Chinese Medicine can treat these symptoms through acupuncture and Chinese herbs, to help boost your body and promote the recovery process.  Chinese Medicine can also help reduce inflammation and swelling and treat other symptoms which may have been related to the bladder problem (such as hearing problems and emotional health).

Click here for more information about cancer and Chinese Medicine. For more information about how acupuncture can help treat cancer, click here.

Conclusion:

There are ways to reduce your risk of developing bladder cancer including drinking plenty of water and avoiding smoking.  Surgery, immunotherapy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are all treatment options for bladder cancer, depending on the stage of the cancer and your health.  Chinese Medicine can help treat bladder cancer by improving the health of the bladder through acupuncture, and by treating the side effects (like pain and nausea) caused by the other treatments.

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Centre of Balance Hamilton: Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine (n.d.). Archive for category: Cancer. https://balancetcm.co.nz/category/cancer-acupuncure-clinic-hamilton-auckland-cambridge/ 

Mel. (n.d.). Acupuncture for Cancer. Centre of Balance Hamilton: Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine. https://balancetcm.co.nz/acupuncture-for-cancer-hamilton-cambridge-auckland-acupuncture-clinic/

Kivi, R. (2018, September 17). Bladder Cancer. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/bladder-cancer 

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Monica

I am originally from Hebei province in China. I hold a NZ bachelor’s degree of health and science with a major in acupuncture. I am honoured to be an acupuncturist at Centre of Balance. Helping patients to alleviate their pain brings me the greatest joy. Chinese medicine emphasises the unity of human beings and nature. During the treatment, I hope to not only relieve your pain but also help you to understand the principles behind acupuncture’s effectiveness, as well as the significant impact of diet, emotions, lifestyle habits, and living environments on disease recovery. Self-healing is an ability that our bodies are naturally endowed with.

I studied acupuncture in New Zealand and completed one and a half years of supervised clinical internship before graduating. In the early stage of my training, I mainly worked with patients experiencing neck, shoulder, and lower back pain. Under the guidance of senior clinical tutors, I gradually developed hands-on experience and confidence in treating musculoskeletal pain conditions.
As my clinical exposure expanded, I began treating a wider range of internal conditions. Alongside traditional acupuncture, I was introduced to Umbilical Acupuncture and Tungs-acupuncture Points. What interested me most about these approaches is that they often do not require needling directly at the painful area, yet can still achieve very effective results.
I was especially inspired by observing my supervisor use Umbilical Acupuncture to treat common conditions such as insomnia, menstrual irregularities, and even rheumatoid arthritis, with very positive outcomes. Another supervisor was highly skilled in Tungs-acupuncture Points and achieved excellent results in treating pain, infertility, menstrual disorders, and a variety of women’s health conditions. After completing my studies and entering clinical practice, once I observed Dr. Szenan Phua using Tungs-acupuncture points to help cancer patients relieve pain, which further strengthened my trust in this treatment method.
I later completed training in Dr. Tan Balance Acupuncture, which had a strong influence on the way I approach treatment. One of the most noticeable features of this method is how quickly patients often feel improvement, especially with pain conditions. Dr. Szenan Phua’s New Balance Acupuncture combines meridian regulation with structural adjustment and internal organ balancing, including techniques such as pulse balancing and spinal adjustment.
From my clinical experience, pain is rarely just a local issue. It often involves underlying organ weakness or structural imbalance. When these aspects are addressed together, treatment can be more thorough and longer-lasting. I also apply this approach to internal conditions, particularly in fertility and women’s health. This includes supporting natural conception, IVF preparation and embryo transfer, pregnancy support, early-pregnancy nausea, and late-pregnancy labour induction. I combine these treatments with concepts learned from a few additional fertility training, which has given me a broader and more flexible clinical perspective. This has reinforced my belief that acupuncture should be adapted to each individual rather than applied through fixed formulas.
Two other areas of study that have been very helpful in my clinical work are Tongue Diagnosis and Dr. Zhu’s Scalp Acupuncture. Although tongue diagnosis is taught in my standard Chinese medicine training, further study allowed me to deepen and refine my diagnostic skills.
My first formal training was in Li’s Tongue Diagnosis, which looks not only at organ patterns, but also at how different areas of the tongue reflect the body’s structure. This system also explores personality traits and changes during pregnancy, making it both clinically useful and engaging. I later attended online lectures on Yin’s Tongue Diagnosis and studied the related materials independently. this learning has helped me make clearer and more accurate pattern differentiation, allowing my acupuncture treatments to be more targeted. It covers a wide range of conditions, including skin disorders, oncology-related presentations, mental health patterns, and joint or limb problems. In practice, tongue observation often provides valuable insight even before a patient begins describing their symptoms.
In addition to the methods above, I regularly use local bloodletting techniques, which can be very effective for improving circulation, reducing swelling, and relieving pain. I also incorporate auricular (ear) acupressure and stimulation, which I commonly use for allergies, insomnia, headaches, stress management, and various internal conditions.
In my clinical work, I value taking the time to listen carefully to each patient and to understand their overall health, lifestyle, and concerns. Based on each individual’s condition, I also provide personalised dietary guidance and lifestyle or wellness advice to support overall health and long-term wellbeing. I commonly support patients with musculoskeletal pain, such as neck, shoulder, knee, and back pain, as well as stress-related conditions, sleep issues, migraines, digestive concerns, and women’s health and fertility-related conditions.