What Happens During Chemotherapy for Bladder Cancer

Chemotherapy is given in cycles. A person with bladder cancer will get chemotherapy treatment for a certain length of time and then get a rest period. Then treatment will begin again. Each treatment and rest period makes up one cycle. Most people have chemotherapy in an outpatient clinic in their local hospital, at their doctor’s office, or in their home. Sometimes, they may go to a special chemotherapy-only clinic.

There are 2 types of chemotherapy that can be used to treat bladder cancer.

• Local, which is also called intravesical

• Systemic

With local chemotherapy, a doctor or nurse puts the drugs right into your bladder. It’s used mainly for early stages of bladder cancer.

With systemic chemotherapy, a doctor or nurse injects the drugs into your bloodstream through a vein. Systemic chemotherapy is mainly used when cancer is more advanced.