Bladder cancer care near Marietta
Visible or picked up on a lab test, blood in the urine is the sign that most often leads to a bladder cancer diagnosis, so it deserves a prompt urology visit. Other signs can include going often, urgency, burning and pelvic pain, though these also have many non-cancer causes.
Signs to get checked
- Visible blood in the urine, even once
- Blood found on a urine test
- Needing to go often or urgently
- Burning or pain when urinating
- Lower back or pelvic pain
How is bladder cancer treated?
Most bladder cancers start in the bladder lining. Treatment usually begins with removing the tumor through the urethra under anesthesia, which also tells the team how deep the cancer goes. Cancers that have not reached the bladder muscle are often treated with medicine placed directly into the bladder, such as BCG or mitomycin. More aggressive cancers may need surgery to remove the bladder, sometimes with chemotherapy or immunotherapy. Regular follow-up checks are part of care because bladder cancer can come back.
Follow-up close to home
Visits and checkups are available in Marietta, Canton and Jasper with our urologists, and procedures are done at the Marietta Clinic & Surgery Center. Dr. Jason Lomboy's two-minute overview, linked below, walks through each step.
More on this topic from Advanced Urology: bladder cancer
Educational information, not medical advice. Every treatment has risks, benefits and alternatives to discuss with your clinician.
When should you see a urologist about bladder cancer?
Any blood in the urine, whether you see it or a lab finds it, should lead to a urology visit. Large clots or being unable to urinate need the ER.
How do our urologists evaluate bladder cancer?
Evaluation usually means a urine test, imaging of the kidneys and bladder, and a cystoscopy, a short look at the bladder lining with a thin camera. If a tumor is seen, removing it also shows how deep it goes.
What is recovery usually like?
Removing a bladder tumor through the urethra is done under anesthesia at our Marietta surgery center, and our urologists explain the recovery plan. Medicines such as BCG may follow, and surveillance cystoscopy continues for years.
More questions we hear
Is blood in the urine always bladder cancer?
No. Infections and stones are common causes, but blood is the most frequent sign of bladder cancer, so it always deserves a check.
What is BCG?
BCG is a weakened bacterium placed into the bladder through a catheter, given as a series of treatments after tumor removal. It triggers an immune response that lowers the chance of the cancer returning.
Will I lose my bladder?
Most cancers that have not reached the bladder muscle are treated without removing the bladder. Cancers that have reached the muscle may need bladder removal.
Which articles go deeper on bladder cancer?
These short reads answer questions patients often bring to us.
- Bladder cancer symptoms in women: often mistaken for a UTI
- Why do I need surveillance cystoscopy after bladder cancer?
- What if BCG stops working?
- Blood in my urine: what questions should I ask at my visit?
- Diagnosed with bladder cancer? A two-minute overview
All 5 articles on bladder cancer
Clinicians whose Advanced Urology profiles list this area: Jason Lomboy, MD.
After a diagnosis
Bladder cancer care often continues for years. After tumor removal, surveillance cystoscopy at regular intervals checks for any return, and in-bladder treatments such as BCG may be used to lower that risk. If BCG stops working, other options are available, and our urologists will explain them.
Common questions
Why is cystoscopy repeated?
Bladder cancer comes back in many patients, so a scope look is repeated on a regular schedule, most often in the first years. It takes a few minutes in the office with numbing gel.
Where is cystoscopy done?
Routine surveillance cystoscopy is done in the office with numbing gel. Biopsies or tumor removal are done at our Marietta Clinic & Surgery Center with anesthesia.
Does smoking matter after diagnosis?
Yes. Stopping smoking is one of the most helpful steps, and we can point you to support.
Videos from Advanced Urology
Videos play here from Advanced Urology’s YouTube channel, using YouTube’s privacy-enhanced mode.
Noticing symptoms? Our plain-language guide, Blood in your urine? Here is what to do next, explains what to do next.
Let's sort this out together. Our offices in Marietta, Canton, Dallas and Jasper share one phone line and one caring team.