Tumour removal
Surgery is recommended to remove a urachal cancer tumour that has not spread to other tissues or organs. The tumour will be removed along with surrounding tissue in the abdomen, the navel, and the top of the bladder to make sure no cancer cells remain.
In rare cases, some or all of the urinary bladder must be removed. The pelvic lymph nodes should be removed if imaging shows they are enlarged and/or look like cancer might be present or if they feel suspicious during the operation.
Bladder removal
If parts of your urinary bladder have to be removed, you will have a smaller bladder. This might lead to lower urinary tract symptoms like feeling an urgent need to urinate and frequent voiding. In rare cases, the whole bladder may need to be removed. In this case, a substitute reservoir (neobladder) or an artificial opening for passing urine (urinary stoma) must be built during the operation.
Diagnostic laparoscopy
This procedure may be advised if:
- You have a large (>4 cm) tumour filled with mucus (mucinous cystic tumour)
- Images of your abdomen show mucus floating freely
In a diagnostic laparoscopy, the inside of your abdomen is examined with a tube-like camera and one or two additional instruments while you are asleep (under general anaesthesia). If cancerous cells are found, a larger operation will be performed to remove all mucus and tumours, and chemotherapy drugs will be given directly in the abdomen to kill remaining cancer cells.
