Chemotherapy for bladder cancer

Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells. Cytotoxic means toxic to cells. How this treatment is used to treat bladder cancer depends on the stage of the cancer.

Chemotherapy for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer can be given directly into the bladder. This is called intravesical chemotherapy. We have separate information about intravesical chemotherapy.

The information on this page is about chemotherapy given into a vein (intravenous).

Chemotherapy into a vein can be used for:

• muscle-invasive bladder cancer – this means the cancer has spread into or through the muscle layer of the bladder wall
• locally advanced bladder cancer – this means the cancer has spread outside the bladder into nearby areas of the body.

You may have chemotherapy into a vein:

• before surgery or radiotherapy, to shrink the cancer and reduce the risk of it coming back – this is called neo-adjuvant chemotherapy
• with radiotherapy, to make treatment work better – this is called chemoradiation
• after surgery, if there is a high risk of the cancer coming back – this is called adjuvant chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy into a vein is also used to treat advanced bladder cancer. Advanced means the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. You may have chemotherapy on its own as your main treatment to help to shrink and control the cancer and improve your symptoms. It may help you live for longer.

We have more information about coping with advanced cancer.

Your cancer doctor or nurse will explain your treatment plan and what to expect. You usually have treatment as an outpatient in the chemotherapy day unit. You can usually go home afterwards. Sometimes, you may need to stay in hospital for 1 to 2 days.

We have more information about chemotherapy and chemotherapy side effects. Or you can find more about specific chemotherapy drugs in our A-Z of treatments.