New Bladder Cancer Treatment Available at Albany Medical Center

A minimally invasive, state-of-the-art treatment for bladder cancer is now available at Albany Medical Center.

Approved by the FDA in September 2025, INLEXZO is an implantable device that slowly releases chemotherapy into the bladder over the course of three weeks. Designed to treat an early but aggressive cancer on the surface of the bladder, it precludes the need to have the bladder surgically removed.

“Inserting the device takes about ten minutes and it takes about fifteen minutes to remove it,” said urologist Ronald Kaufman, Jr., MD, who explained that the device curls in on itself like a pretzel once it’s placed in the bladder.

Previously, this type of bladder cancer has been treated via a catheter that released the drug directly into the bladder. “The catheter would have to remain in place while the drug is released, a process that often takes more than an hour and can involve some discomfort,” said Dr. Kaufman.

Dr. Kaufman was among the urologic surgeons and nurse practitioners who recently underwent training on inserting and removing INLEXZO, which, for the first six installations, is replaced every three weeks.