Bladder cancer

UCLH is a specialist centre for the treatment of bladder cancer and is the Pelvic Cancer Centre for North Central and North East London Cancer Alliance.

This means that patients will continue to receive some of their cancer care at their local hospital but may be seen at UCLH for some treatment: for example intravesical treatments (treatments given into the bladder), surgery or specialist radiotherapy.

Most bladder cancers can be managed by removing the bladder tumour from the lining of the bladder using instruments passed along the urethra or water pipe under anaesthetic.

More advanced bladder cancer may require surgery to remove the bladder, or radiotherapy. The surgery is called cystectomy and UCLH is one of the few hospitals in the UK that performs cystectomy using the da Vinci robotic surgical system. The majority of patients have robotic cystectomy; our surgeons either reconstruct the bladder or create a stoma using the robotic or keyhole techniques which have been pioneered at UCLH.

We recognise that being diagnosed with cancer can be a difficult time for you and those close to you. These web pages give you an overview of the expert care you can expect to receive at UCLH. You will also be introduced to the different types of healthcare professional you may meet along the way.

As a designated centre for bladder cancer we provide expert medical and nursing care, and have a range of clinical trials available to our patients, pioneering new treatment approaches.