Medications

Medicines may be used to control the growth of bladder cancer cells and to relieve symptoms. These medicines may be taken by mouth, injected into a vein (intravenous, or IV), or delivered directly into the bladder using a catheter.

• Chemotherapy uses medicines to destroy cancer cells.
• Immunotherapy, also called biological therapy, uses medicines that cause your body's immune system to attack cancer cells in your bladder. It is most often used for early-stage bladder cancer. It may also be used after a transurethral resection (TUR) to help keep cancer from coming back.

Most chemotherapy causes some side effects. Home treatment may be all that is needed to manage your symptoms. But some people may need medicines to control nausea and vomiting.

Medication choices

Chemotherapy medicines

• Gemcitabine and cisplatin.
• MVAC, a combination of methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin.
• Mitomycin. This medicine may be used to help keep cancer from coming back.

Immunotherapy medicines

• Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG).
• Interferon.