Bladder removal surgery has life-changing side effects (Image: Getty)
Bladder cancer patients can be spared life-changing surgery to remove the organ thanks to a new treatment combination, a landmark study has found. Around 11,000 cases of bladder cancer are diagnosed in the UK each year. One in four are an advanced form where the tumour has grown into the muscle wall.
A new study suggests many bladder cancer patients could avoid the life-altering surgery of having the organ removed, thanks to a promising combination of treatments.
Bladder cancer is diagnosed in about 11,000 people in the UK each year. Roughly one in four cases are muscle-invasive, meaning the tumour has spread into the bladder wall. These are among the most serious forms of the disease, with only around half of patients surviving for five years.
Tracey Emin has spoken about the impact of the life-changing surgery (Image: Getty)
Tracey, 62, said the following year: “It’s a very private thing because, basically, you’ve got part of your bodily function happening on the outside of your body.
“It leaks and things happen. I could be out somewhere public and it could happen — and people’d just think I’ve pissed myself or think I’ve been drinking. Not being able to urinate and to have a bag of piss attached to you for the rest of your life is hardcore.”
The standard treatment for this stage of bladder cancer is often a full bladder removal, known as a radical cystectomy. While it can be lifesaving, the procedure is widely regarded as one of the most difficult cancer surgeries to endure because of its lasting impact on daily life.
Artist Tracey Emin underwent the operation in 2020 after being diagnosed with severe squamous bladder cancer. She later spoke candidly about living with a urostomy bag, which collects urine outside the body after the bladder is removed.
In 2021, Emin described the experience in stark terms, saying it was deeply private and difficult to manage. She said leaks could happen in public, leaving her worried that others might misunderstand what had happened. She also spoke about the emotional and physical toll of no longer being able to urinate normally and relying on a urine bag permanently.
For patients hoping to avoid surgery, earlier research had already shown that combining chemotherapy with radiotherapy could help lower the risk of the cancer returning. Even so, about 40% of patients receiving that treatment see the disease come back within a year.
Durvalumab works by blocking a protein that can be used by cancer cells to hide from the immune system. It was recently approved on the NHS for bladder cancer when used alongside surgery and chemotherapy.
The latest results, presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago, suggest surgery could now safely be removed from the equation for some patients.
Prof James, who is also a consultant clinical oncologist at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, added: “I expect this approach to be practice-changing — offering bladder cancer patients improved outcomes whilst preserving their quality of life.”
ICR chief executive Professor Kristian Helin said: “Identifying smarter, kinder treatments is a key priority in cancer research — approaches that not only control the disease effectively, but that also reduce the life-changing impact of treatment on patients.
“These results are a significant step forward for people with aggressive bladder cancer.
“By adding immunotherapy to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, we may be able to spare patients the physical and psychological burden of having their bladder removed entirely and after one year, we’re already seeing a meaningful reduction in the risk of the cancer returning.”
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “Radical surgery can cause serious side effects for bladder cancer patients. Finding kinder ways to treat the disease is incredibly important, and this trial has done exactly that.
“Further research will be needed at a larger scale to know for sure, but these results have the potential to be life changing for some bladder cancer patients.
“Breakthroughs just like this are essential to ensure people affected by cancer can live not just longer lives, but better lives.”
