There are no set treatment guidelines for this type of cancer because it is so rare.

Surgery is, however, the main treatment for urachal cancer. This means the urachus, belly button, and nearby tissue, along with part or all of your bladder, are removed. This is often done together in one surgery. If possible, doctors prefer to remove just part of the bladder to help you lead a better quality of life.

Sometimes chemotherapy or radiation is used, but it's not clear how effective these treatments are. Because this type of cancer is rare, there haven't been treatment trials with many patients.

However, chemotherapy drugs with platinum and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) have shown success in:

Patients where the cancer has spread to other organs or parts of the body.
Patients with a high chance of the cancer returning after surgery.

Here are some questions you can ask your doctor about chemotherapy for urachal cancer:

Why do I need chemotherapy?
Are there other treatment options besides chemotherapy?
Which drugs will I have?
How do I take the drugs?
Will I have to stay in hospital?
How long will I be in hospital for?
What are the side effects?
Can I do anything to help prevent side effects?
Who can help me deal with side effects?
Who can I contact if I am worried about side effects?
What should I do if I get an infection?
How long will I have chemotherapy for?
How many courses of chemotherapy will I need?
How long will I need to be off work?
How can you tell if the chemotherapy is working?
How long will it take me to recover from the treatment?

Treatment trials or clinical trials

Treatment trials, or clinical trials are research studies that test new treatments, medicines, or procedures on people to see if they are safe and effective. These trials help doctors learn more about how to treat different illnesses.

Talk to your doctor or nurse—they may know of any current clinical trials you could join.

For information about clinical trials, you may also want to check the following websites: