Bladder Cancer Treatment
TURBT and Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer
Transurethral resection of bladder tumor, or TURBT, is a procedure performed through the urethra with a thin instrument that carries a camera and a cutting loop. No incision is made. It is both a diagnostic and a treatment procedure. The tumor is removed and sent for pathology, which tells the care team how deep the cancer goes and how aggressive it appears. It is often the first procedure for someone whose evaluation for blood in the urine has found a bladder tumor.
Overview
Bladder cancers that have not grown into the muscle wall are called non-muscle-invasive. They are managed by removing visible tumors, sometimes placing medication directly into the bladder to reduce the chance of recurrence, and regular check cystoscopies over several years. A second TURBT is sometimes recommended a few weeks after the first to confirm that the tumor was completely removed and that no muscle invasion was missed.
Who May Be a Candidate
Whether this treatment is appropriate is an individual decision made with your care team. In general it may be considered for:
- A bladder tumor seen on cystoscopy or imaging, usually found during evaluation of blood in the urine.
- Known non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer with a recurrence found on surveillance cystoscopy.
- Patients who need a repeat resection to complete staging after an initial TURBT.
What Is Typically Involved
- 1Cystoscopy in the office to look inside the bladder, along with imaging of the kidneys and ureters.
- 2TURBT under anesthesia, usually as a same-day procedure, sometimes with enhanced imaging that helps make tumors more visible.
- 3A single dose of chemotherapy placed in the bladder right after resection in selected cases.
- 4A pathology report within one to two weeks, which sets the risk category and the plan.
- 5For intermediate and high-risk disease, a course of intravesical therapy such as BCG or chemotherapy placed into the bladder through a catheter over several weeks.
- 6Surveillance cystoscopy at intervals set by the risk category, often every three months at first and less often over time.
A more detailed, plain-language guide to preparing for and recovering from this surgery, in English and Spanish, is in the Bladder Tumor Removal (TURBT) patient guide.
Questions Patients Often Ask
Is a TURBT a cure?
For many non-muscle-invasive bladder cancers, removing the tumor is the main treatment, but these cancers have a tendency to come back in the bladder. That is why follow-up cystoscopy and, for some patients, medication placed in the bladder are part of the plan. Whether more treatment is needed depends on the pathology report.
Why might I need a second TURBT?
A repeat resection a few weeks after the first is recommended for certain higher-grade or larger tumors, and when the first specimen did not include muscle tissue. It confirms that the tumor was fully removed and that the cancer has been staged correctly before deciding on further treatment.
What is BCG?
BCG is a weakened bacterium that is placed into the bladder through a catheter and held for a period before voiding. It stimulates an immune response in the bladder lining that lowers the chance of the cancer returning or progressing. It is given as a series of weekly treatments followed by maintenance doses over one to three years for patients who respond.
How often will I need a cystoscopy?
It depends on the risk category of the cancer. Many patients are checked every three months during the first year or two and then less frequently. Surveillance usually continues for several years. Your care team will set the schedule based on your pathology and how the bladder looks over time.
Related Procedures
Discuss Your Options
This page is general information and is not a recommendation for any individual. To discuss whether this treatment is appropriate for you, request a consultation through UHealth or call (305) 243-6090. Please do not send personal health information through this website.
Request an AppointmentEducational content reviewed by Archan Khandekar, MD. Last updated 2026-09-19. This material is general in nature, does not constitute medical advice, and does not create a physician-patient relationship. Individual care decisions should be made with your own treating physicians.
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Dr. Khandekar sees patients across the University of Miami Health System and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Request an appointment for urologic oncology care.