Overview
The bladder is the organ in the body that stores urine. According to the Mayo Clinic, most  bladder cancers began in the cellular structures that line the interior of the bladder. While affecting mostly older adults, bladder cancer, like any other type of cancer, can strike at any time.

Bladder cancer, when diagnosed early, is very treatable, though individuals who have undergone bladder cancer treatments and therapies are often cautioned to engage in follow-up tests for many years following remission.

Like most cancers, bladder cancer is caused by a proliferation of damaged or mutated cells that continue to multiply and replicate until surrounding tissues are infected or a tumor forms.  Treatments for bladder cancer will depend on the type of cancer that develops.
 
Who Benefits from Bladder Cancer Therapy?
Anyone who has been diagnosed with bladder cancer may benefit from bladder cancer therapies and treatments. A variety of treatments are available, including conventional surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, as well as newer technologies that utilize stem cell research and other alternative or natural approaches to cancer treatment.

Common Bladder Cancer Therapies and Treatments
Medications to treat bladder cancer are often prescribed. Recent clinical trials of a drug called cisplatin plus gemcitabine, either by itself or combined with chemotherapy, may help increase survival rates of individuals diagnosed with locally advanced bladder cancer, or metastatic biliary tract cancers, or cancers that have migrated to the ureters or urethra, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.

Clinical trials involving pre-surgical chemotherapy may also help increase survival rates of individuals diagnosed with advanced local bladder cancer, as compared to surgical procedures alone, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Other common bladder cancer therapies and treatment include:

• External beam radiation therapy - radiation from outside the body that targets specific areas
• Internal radiation therapy - also known as brachytherapy, the type of internal radiation therapy that involves the implantation of very small radioactive pellets in the location where the cancer is situated.
• Proton therapy - a relatively new cancer technology that works on specific types of cancers, involves the transmission of proton beams that deliver positive charge is much like the depth charges of ships seeking a submarine. The depth of the tumor is calculated, which gives a proton beams more exact destinations than x-ray type radiation therapies.  The actual trajectory for the proton therapy is computer assisted, and must nevertheless take into miscalculations, internal organ motion, inaccurate diagnostic imaging and other factors.
• Chemotherapy - involves the use of medications to attack and kill cancer cells, often with side effects for individuals such as nausea, hair loss, weight loss and fatigue.
• Radiation - a type of x-ray that kills cancer cells, but may also destroy surrounding healthy tissues.
• Biological therapy - use of proteins to initiate the immune system to produce increased amounts of white blood cells that attack viruses, bacteria and cancers.
• Surgery

How Much Do Bladder Cancer Treatments And Therapies Cost?
Cancer treatment in the U.S. often ranges from $40,000 to $50,000. However, the same treatments in India and Brazil can save patients hundreds, if not thousands of dollars per treatment. Chemotherapy medication treatments in the United States can run anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000 a month depending on the drug and intake method. In Thailand, monthly costs run from $1,000 a month, while in India, costs average about $1,200 per month.

Where to Find Bladder Cancer Treatment
When looking for a doctor to help treat cancer, patients should look for cancer specialists. These specialists are trained in the field of oncology. Patients should look for experience, training, and that the specialist of their choice has been board-certified in specific areas of medicine. The physician who is board-certified in medical oncology or surgery will ensure their qualifications in their field.