SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Bladder cancer. we don?t hear much about it, even though it ranks fourth in cancer diagnoses for men and eighth for women. Now doctors are using a new robot to help patients get rid of the cancer and rebuild their lives.Elk, deer, goat, turkey, bear, boar?These trophies represent a passion for Ken Patterson. but he was forced out the field when he was told he had stage three bladder cancer.”It was devastating,” said Ken Patterson, bladder cancer survivor.”I couldn?t believe it. I just kept asking if he had the right patient,” Rosemary Patterson, Ken?s wife, recalled.Ken and his wife found Urologic Cancer Surgeon Carol Salem at Scripps Mercy Hospital. she uses a robot to remove the cancer, take out the bladder and prostate.”It?s a devastating diagnosis because as you can imagine, getting the tumor out is one thing, which includes the removal of the bladder and the prostate,” Carol Salem, M.D., at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, said.Treating bladder cancer is traditionally done by creating a large incision from the pubic bone to the belly button. The robotic surgery requires an incision a third of that size and there?s less blood loss–both help lead to a faster recovery. During Ken?s nine and a half hour surgery, Dr. Salem was able to build a neo-bladder out of his bowel, giving him control he thought he my never have again.”When we do surgery robotically, we can spare the pelvic nerves,” Dr. Salem added.”Everything works just like it always worked,” Ken explained.This represents success to Ken?”Ninety-two days after major surgery I was out in the woods hunting elk again,” Ken concluded.?And he got one!for women, the robot-assisted surgery helps in the removal of the bladder, uterus and ovaries. This surgery is not for everyone. Patients must have good kidney function and no cancer in the urethra.Robots Rebuilding Bladders — Research SummaryBACKGROUND: Bladder cancer is a cancerous tumor in the bladder. it is not clear what causes bladder cancer, but smoking is a huge risk factor. Bladder cancer is also linked with aging and gender. almost nine out of 10 diagnosed with bladder cancer are older than 55. Interestingly, men are three times more likely to get bladder cancer than women. (SOURCE: roboticoncology.com)TYPES OF BLADDER CANCER: there are three main types of bladder cancer: transitional cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma. Transitional cell carcinoma is the most common form of cancer. it accounts for almost 97 out of 100 cases. Squamous cell carcinoma can form in the lining of the bladder after long-term infection or irritation. This type accounts for about two out of 100 cases of bladder cancer. Adenocarcinoma starts in gland-like cells that can form in the bladder after a lengthy infection or irritation. This type accounts for only about one out of 100 cases of bladder cancer. (SOURCE: myoptumhealth.com)SYMPTOMS OF BLADDER CANCER: most symptoms of bladder cancer include: blood in urine, painful urination, urinary frequency and urgency, abdominal pain, anemia, bone pain/tenderness, fatigue or weight loss. If one has experienced any of these symptoms it’s important to visit ones health care provider to get a rectal and pelvic exam. Bladder cancers are usually diagnosed by examining urine for cancer cells under a microscope or during cystoscopy ? an inspection of the bladder with a slender tube equipped with a lens and a light that is inserted into a bladder through the urethra. (SOURCE: righthealth.com)TREATMENT: Robotic surgery, largely pioneered for prostate cancer surgery, is rapidly being adapted for use in other areas, including for bladder cancer patients. Robotic-assisted surgery offers patients a cancer removal rate that?s 14% higher than traditional surgery. Furthermore, you have a less risk of blood loss, a lower chance you’ll need a blood transfusion and reduced scarring, minimal discomfort and less need for major pain medication. (SOURCE: news-medical.net)