KINGMAN – Kingman Regional Medical Center’s WL Nugent Cancer Center has begun using a new method to treat certain patients with bladder cancer. The Cancer Center now has the capability to deliver chemotherapy directly to the bladder through a catheter, in a process called intravesicular chemotherapy.
Traditionally, patients receive intravenous (IV) chemotherapy – chemotherapy in the whole body through an IV.
With the intravesicle method, a liquid chemotherapy drug is injected through a catheter directly into the bladder. This enables the drug to attack cancer cells in the bladder without having major effects on the rest of the body.
Kari Wheeler, RN is a nurse who specializes in oncology, or cancer care. Wheeler completed dedicated research and training to be able to provide this treatment option for patients at the WL Nugent Cancer Center.
For now, just one patient has received treatment this way and is responding well, said Wheeler. The Cancer Center can accommodate additional patients for this treatment as needed. Intravesicular chemotherapy is intended for patients with non-invasive bladder cancer whose tumors that have not invaded the bladder wall.
For more information on treatment capabilities at the WL Nugent Cancer Center, visit azkrmc.com/services/cancer-center.
