When is chemotherapy used to treat bladder cancer?

Chemotherapy is used for the treatment of muscle invasice and advanced bladder cancer.  Chemotherapy is often used in combination with cystectomy in the treatment of muscle invasive bladder cancer.  It can be used either before cystectomy (called Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy) or after cystectomy(called adjuvant chemotherapy).  Chemotherapy can also be used for advanced or recurrent bladder cancer. There are several types of chemotherapy drugs which can be used. The use of two or more chemotherapy drugs together has been found to be more effective than a single drug alone.

Current treatment of muscle invasive bladder cancer can utilize chemotherapy.  Chemotherapy can also be used as a combined approach of both chemotherapy and radiation (chemoradiation) for localized muscle invasive cancer or for advanced cancers