Bladder cancer is the 10th most common type of cancer diagnosis in Louisiana, with around 1,000 new cases each year. About 90% of bladder cancers develop within the urothelial cells that make up the lining of the bladder (urothelial carcinoma).  In the early stages, the cancer stays within the lining of the bladder, but as the tumor grows, it can spread into the muscle layer surrounding the bladder. Muscle-invasive bladder cancer occurs in about 25% of cases. While bladder cancer is often highly treatable, it has one of the highest recurrence rates, making ongoing follow-up care especially important.Â
At Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, we are committed to improving survivorship and lessening the burden of cancer for every patient. As the leading cancer care organization in Louisiana, we treat more patients each year then any other facility in the region, providing expert care close to home in the Gulf South. with more than 50 years of experience, our focus remains on advanced treatment, compassionate support, early detection, and long-term follow-up, so patients with bladder cancer have access to the best possible outcomes.Â
For more resources, visit marybird.org/resources.
Talk with your doctor to see if a bladder cancer screening is right for you. Â
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Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is home to one of the largest bladder-sparing programs in the U.S. Patients with muscle-invasive bladder center receive innovative, multidisciplinary care with the goal of avoiding bladder removal. This patient-centric approach, led by board-certified urologic oncologist Scott E. Delacroix Jr., M.D., prioritizes quality of life without compromising treatment outcomes.Â
Clinical trials are research studies that involve human beings in order to test new ways to prevent, detect, diagnose or treat diseases. A drug must be part of a clinical trial before the FDA will approve it to be put on the market. Oncology clinical trials are conducted in order to test new drugs or a new combination of drug treatments, new surgery and radiation therapies and new medical devices. Every cancer center patient is evaluated for participation in a clinical trial. Those who meet the criteria to participate in clinical research receive a standard of care treatment, but with the added benefit of a trial that may enhance their outcomes. 
If interested in volunteering to participate in a clinical research trial, or if you have concerns about the conduct of clinical research, please contact the Clinical Research office at (225) 215-1353, or by email at clinicalresearch@marybird.com.Â