PARAMUS, N.J. — Valley Health System is using new technology designed to help doctors spot bladder cancer that can be difficult to see during a standard examination.

Valley’s Urologic Oncology Center began offering Blue Light Cystoscopy with Cysview, a procedure that uses a special medication and blue light to make cancer cells easier to find. Valley announced the new technology in June.

Bladder cancer is often found after a patient notices blood in the urine, frequent urination or a strong need to urinate. Doctors may use urine tests, imaging and a procedure called a cystoscopy to look for cancer.

During a cystoscopy, a doctor uses a thin camera to look inside the bladder.

The blue-light procedure adds another step.

About an hour before the procedure, the patient receives Cysview, a medication that is absorbed by cancer cells. When the doctor switches from regular white light to blue light, the cancer cells glow bright pink.

That can make areas of cancer easier to see.

Valley urologist David Ahlborn, MD, said the technology can help doctors find and remove cancer more accurately.

The procedure can also help doctors better understand how advanced the cancer is and plan treatment based on what they find.

Patients undergo the procedure under anesthesia and can have surgery the same day. Valley says the approach may allow for less invasive treatment and a faster return to normal activities.

The technology can be used for patients with suspected low-, intermediate- or high-risk bladder cancer. It can also be used for patients with other health problems that may make treatment more complicated.

Bladder cancer can also come back after treatment, meaning some patients need regular follow-up exams for years. Valley says the blue-light technology gives doctors another tool when checking patients for cancer that may otherwise be difficult to spot.

Valley’s urologic oncology nurse navigators also help patients schedule the procedure and coordinate follow-up care with the rest of their cancer treatment team.

For patients dealing with possible bladder cancer, the new technology gives Valley doctors another way to look for the disease and make sure fewer cancerous areas are missed.