Great strides have been made in cancer research over the past 10 years. The following bladder cancer research is being conducted:

• Numerous changes in the DNA of bladder cancer have been identified in recent years. Researchers are now investigating whether the genetic tests that identify these DNA changes will be useful in predicting bladder cancers that return after treatment. Other studies are trying to determine whether these DNA tests can help predict the course of the cancer. 
  
  
• Patients who have had bladder cancer in the past are more likely to develop a new cancer in another part of the urinary system. Researchers are currently studying certain vitamins and drugs that may help prevent new cancers from developing.
  
  
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved two new tumor marker tests for identifying bladder cancer that may have returned. Additional marker tests are currently being studied. In addition, a urine test that detects the presence of the enzyme telomerase is being evaluated for early detection of bladder cancer. In one study, the enzyme was found in 90 percent of men after that cancer was diagnosed by invasive examinations of the bladder and urinary tract.
  
  
• Photodynamic therapy (PDT) may be useful in treating the beginning stages of bladder cancer. PDT is a two step process. First, a chemical is injected into the bloodstream. A few days later, after the chemical has accumulated inside the tumor, a special laser light is focused on the cancer. The light alters the chemical, promoting the destruction of cancer cells. Although this treatment only works on cancers near the bladder’s surface, it does minimal harm to normal cells. PDT is not yet widely available.
  
  
• The FDA recently approved a new drug classified as an antitumor antibiotic to treat patients with very early stage bladder cancer. Additional drugs are currently being tested for treating individuals with advanced bladder cancer.
  
  
• Monoclonal antibodies that have been approved for colon cancer and kidney cancer therapy are being tested for bladder cancer. Some of these biological therapies work as angiogenesis inhibitors, blocking the blood supply of cancer cells.
  
  
• Researchers are currently testing the effects of gene therapy on bladder cancer. Changes in genes can promote abnormal growth of bladder cells. New designer viruses that contain a normal gene may help restore normal cell growth control to bladder cancer patients in the future.
  
  
• Numerous studies are also examining the timing of surgery as treatment for bladder cancer. Some studies have indicated the need for immediate surgery, while others have indicated that delaying surgery for several weeks will not adversely affect a patient’s prognosis. Additional research is needed to determine the correlation between treatment timing and progression of the cancer.