Contents
The bladder is a balloon-like organ located below the stomach. The kidneys produce the urine that is stored in the bladder. Bladder cancer develops from cancerous cells in the lining of the bladder. These cancer cells then start to grow, forming tumors. If left untreated, bladder cancer can spread to the kidneys, lungs, bones, and brain.
How does bladder cancer spread?
Separately, it can also continue to grow into surrounding areas such as the abdominal wall (peritoneum). Distant bladder cancer metastasis. Once cancerous cells have reached the lymphatic system, they can make their way to almost any part of the body. However, the most common sites for distant bladder cancer metastases include the: Lungs; Bones; Liver; …
Can bladder cancer metastasize to the abdomen?
· Bladder cancer usually starts in the lining or inner layer of the bladder wall. As the cancer grows through the layers of the bladder wall, it becomes harder to treat. The “transitional epithelium” on the picture is the lining layer where most bladder cancers start. Over time they can spread deeper into the other layers.
How can you tell if bladder cancer has spread?
Bladder cancers that have grown large or have spread to other parts of the body can sometimes cause other symptoms, such as: Being unable to urinate. Lower back pain on one side. Loss of appetite and weight loss. Feeling tired or weak.
Can lower back and abdominal pain be caused by bladder cancer?
· The signs and symptoms of bladder cancer that has spread to other parts of the body include: … throat, stomach, and hair. This can cause a range of … or other people who have stage 4 bladder …
Where does bladder cancer spread first?
When bladder cancer spreads, it first invades the bladder wall, which is made up of four distinct layers. It can take some time for cancer to penetrate all of these layers, but once it has, it can then spread into the surrounding fatty tissues and lymph nodes.
Can bladder cancer cause stomach issues?
Symptoms of bladder cancer include: Abdominal pain. Anemia. Blood in the urine.
What are the signs that bladder cancer has spread?
The signs and symptoms of bladder cancer that has spread to other parts of the body include:tiredness or weakness.pain when urinating.difficulty urinating or inability to urinate.pain in the lower back on one side of the body.weight loss.swollen feet.bone pain.
What organs can bladder cancer spread to?
As bladder cancer grows it can invade the entire way through the wall and into the fat surrounding the bladder or even into other organs (prostate, uterus, vagina). This local extension is the most common way bladder cancer spreads.
Can bladder problems cause stomach pain?
A person with a bladder infection, or cystitis, may experience pain in the lower abdomen and a burning sensation while urinating. Some other signs of a bladder infection include the following: a frequent, urgent need to urinate.
Can bladder problems cause stomach swelling?
During flares, patients may also experience the “IC Belly,” a sudden and random swelling of the lower abdomen. When an IC bladder is examined using a procedure called hydrodistention with cystoscopy, physicians often find small, bleeding wounds, also known as petechial hemorrhages or glomerulations.
How quickly does bladder cancer metastasize?
As many as 50% of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer may have occult metastases that become clinically apparent within 5 years of initial diagnosis and around 5% will have distant metastasis at the time of initial diagnosis. Most patients with overt metastatic disease die within 2 years despite chemotherapy.
How fast does high grade bladder cancer spread?
T1Hg bladder cancer progresses to muscle-invasive or metastatic disease at a rate of 30% to 50% after 5 years. As a result, some studies advocate initial cystectomy based on the perceived acceptable morbidity and a 5-year disease-specific survival rate of 80% to 90%.
How long can you live with metastatic bladder cancer?
Patients who present with metastatic bladder cancer generally have a poor prognosis, surviving only very few months (1). However, some patients may live considerably longer. If a patient is able to withstand palliative chemotherapy, their remaining lifetime may be extended with systemic treatments.
What are the chances of bladder cancer spreading?
About 1 in 3 bladder cancers have spread into deeper layers but are still only in the bladder. In most of the remaining cases, the cancer has spread to nearby tissues or lymph nodes outside the bladder. Rarely (in about 4% of cases), it has spread to distant parts of the body.
Where does Stage 4 bladder cancer spread?
If you have stage 4 bladder cancer, it means your cancer has spread to any or all of the following places: your abdominal wall. your pelvic wall. distant parts of your body.
Can non invasive bladder cancer metastasis?
Low-grade noninvasive bladder cancer rarely turns into aggressive, invasive, or metastatic disease, but patients are at risk for developing more low-grade cancers throughout their life.
What are the 5 warning signs of bladder cancer?
Here are five warning signs to watch for:Blood in the urine (hematuria). This is the most common early symptom of bladder cancer and typically the first sign of bladder cancer that is seen. … UTI-like symptoms. … Unexplained pain. … Decreased appetite. … Postmenopausal uterine bleeding.
How does bladder cancer affect the body?
This cancer affects deeper muscle layers of the bladder and maybe the fatty tissue around the bladder. Invasive bladder cancer is more likely to spread to nearby organs. These can include the kidneys, prostate gland (in men), and the uterus and vagina (in women). It may also spread to the lymph nodes.
Do you feel unwell with bladder cancer?
pain or a burning sensation when passing urine. weight loss. pain in your back, lower tummy or bones. feeling tired and unwell.
Which of the following is usually the first symptom of bladder cancer?
For most people, the first symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine, also called hematuria. Sometimes the blood is visible, prompting the patient to visit a doctor.
How Does The Doctor Know I Have Bladder Cancer?
Bladder cancer might cause symptoms such as: 1. Having trouble peeing 2. Feeling pain when peeing 3. Needing to go more often than normal 4. Seeing…
Tests to Look For Bladder Cancer
Your doctor may do other tests to find out more about the cancer. Some of them are:X-ray: Dye is put into a vein for a special x-ray of the kidneys…
How Serious Is My Cancer?
If you have bladder cancer, the doctor will want to find out how far it has spread. This is called staging. Your doctor will want to find out the s…
What Kind of Treatment Will I Need?
There’s more than one way to treat bladder cancer. You might want to get a second opinion about the best treatment plan for you. Doctors may have d…
What Will Happen After Treatment?
You will be glad when treatment is over. But it’s hard not to worry about cancer coming back. Even when cancer never comes back, people still worry…
What is it called when cancer grows in the bladder?
If the cancer grows into the outer layers of the bladder, it’s called invasive. Invasive cancers are more likely to spread and can be harder to treat.
How to remove bladder cancer?
This can be done during a cystoscopy. A a cystoscope with a looped wire on the end is used to remove the tumor. When the cancer is more invasive, the cancer is removed along with part of the bladder or the entire bladder.
Where does cancer start?
Cancer can start any place in the body. Cancer that starts in the bladder is called bladder cancer. It starts when cells in the bladder grow out of control and crowd out normal cells. This makes it hard for the body to work the way it should. Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body.
What is it called when cancer cells spread to other parts of the body?
For instance, cancer cells in the bladder can travel to the bone and grow there. When cancer cells spread, it’s called metastasis . Cancer is always named for the place where it starts.
What is it called when cancer spreads to the bone?
For instance, cancer cells in the bladder can travel to the bone and grow there. When cancer cells spread, it’s called metastasis . Cancer is always named for the place where it starts. So when bladder cancer spreads to the bone (or any other place), it’s still called bladder cancer.
What is the tube that connects the kidneys to the bladder?
Tubes called ureters connect your kidneys to the bladder. Urine flows through the ureters and into your bladder, where it’s stored. When you urinate (pee), the bladder squeezes the urine out through a tube called the urethra. Bladder cancer usually starts in the lining or inner layer of the bladder wall.
What tests are done to check for bladder cancer?
This might include a rectal exam, during which a gloved finger is put into your rectum. If you are a woman, a pelvic exam might also be done.
Can bladder cancer spread to other parts of the body?
Bladder cancers that have grown large or have spread to other parts of the body can sometimes cause other symptoms, such as: Again, many of these symptoms are more likely to be caused by something other than bladder cancer, but it’s important to have them checked.
Why is bladder cancer so early?
Bladder cancer can often be found early because it causes blood in the urine or other urinary symptoms that cause a person to see a health care provider.
Does bladder cancer cause blood in urine?
Usually, the early stages of bladder cancer (when it’s small and only in the bladder) cause bleeding but little or no pain or other symptoms. Blood in the urine doesn’t always mean you have bladder cancer.
Can bladder cancer cause a change in urination?
Bladder cancer can sometimes cause changes in urination, such as: Having to urinate more often than usual. Pain or burning during urination. Feeling as if you need to go right away, even when your bladder isn’t full. Having trouble urinating or having a weak urine stream.
Can bladder cancer cause lower back pain?
Bladder cancers that have grown large or have spread to other parts of the body can sometimes cause other symptoms, such as: Being unable to urinate. Lower back pain on one side. Loss of appetite and weight loss. Feeling tired or weak.
What are the symptoms of bladder cancer?
Being unable to urinate. Lower back pain on one side. Loss of appetite and weight loss. Feeling tired or weak. Swelling in the feet. Bone pain. Again, many of these symptoms are more likely to be caused by something other than bladder cancer, but it’s important to have them checked.
How do you know if you have bladder cancer?
Bladder cancers that have grown large or have spread to other parts of the body can sometimes cause other symptoms, such as: Being unable to urinate. Lower back pain on one side. Loss of appetite and weight loss. Feeling tired or weak.
Is it hard to live with bladder cancer?
Living with stage 4 bladder cancer and making decisions about treatment can be difficult. It is often beneficial to get as much information as possible about the disease. Advocacy groups are generally an excellent source of information in addition to healthcare professionals.
How does bladder cancer work?
It works by slowing down or stopping fast-dividing cancer cells, but it can also affect healthy cells that are dividing quickly. These include cells in the mouth, throat, stomach, and hair.
How many stages of bladder cancer are there?
There are four stages, which people often write using Roman numerals. Stage 4 cancer will sometimes appear in writing as stage IV. Knowing what to expect from stage 4 bladder cancer can help people to make informed decisions about their treatment and care.
What is the most advanced stage of cancer?
The most advanced stage of cancer is stage 4. The stage of cancer denotes where cancer cells are in the body and how much of the body is affected. Some forms of cancer have a stage 0, but most use stages 1 to 4. Doctors will confirm the stage at the time of diagnosis, and this number will not change. Stage 4 is the most advanced stage of cancer.
How do you know if you have bladder cancer?
The signs and symptoms of bladder cancer that has spread to other parts of the body include: tiredness or weakness. pain when urinating. difficulty urinating or inability to urinate. pain in the lower back on one side of the body. weight loss.
Is it hard to get rid of stage 4 cancer?
The aim of treatment is to make people feel better and give them more time to live. Treatment can reduce the symptoms of cancer and sometimes get rid of them.
What is the best treatment for bladder cancer?
Chemotherapy. The most common treatment for stage 4 bladder cancer is chemotherapy, which can slow down the growth of cancer cells or shrink a tumor. This sometimes makes it possible for surgeons to remove part or all of the bladder.
Can bladder cancer cause pain on one side of the body?
In patients with lower back or abdominal pain due to bladder cancer, the pain often occurs on only one side of the body. A physical examination may include an examination of the vagina and/or rectum, and laboratory tests may include a urine test known as urinalysis, as well as other tests on samples of your urine to find out if …
Where do bladder cancer cells grow?
In most patients diagnosed with bladder cancer, the cancer cells began to grow in the thin layer of cells that line the walls of the bladder, which is called the urothelium. 1 Bladder cancer cells can gather together to form tumors and if the tumors are only located in the bladder lining, the diagnosis is non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.
Can bladder cancer cause back pain?
Back pain and bladder cancer. Pain in the lower back and/or abdomen can sometimes be caused by bladder cancer, and it is more common in patients who are diagnosed with bladder cancer that is advanced or metastatic. The symptom is not usually experienced by patients who are diagnosed with bladder cancer that is considered early stage.
What is the name of the thin layer of bladder cancer cells?
In most patients diagnosed with bladder cancer, the cancer cells began to grow in the thin layer of cells that line the walls of the bladder, which is called the urothelium. 1 Bladder cancer cells can gather together to form tumors and if the tumors are only located in the bladder lining, …
What is bladder cancer?
Muscle-invasive bladder cancer is diagnosed if the cancer cells have grown into the muscles that make up the wall of the bladder. If the bladder cancer cells have spread to other organs or parts of the body beyond the bladder, it is called metastatic bladder cancer.
Is bladder cancer a symptom of early stage?
The symptom is not usually experienced by patients who are diagnosed with bladder cancer that is considered early stage. The most common symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine that is visible to the eye, which is experienced by around 80% to 90% of patients diagnosed.
What tests are needed to diagnose bladder cancer?
These may include a CT (CAT) scan, an MRI, x-rays, and bone scans.
What are the risks of bladder cancer?
The risk factors for developing bladder cancer include: 1 Advancing age 2 Smoking 3 Occupational risks – bladder cancer was one of the first cancers that was proven to be caused by a carcinogen. It was discovered that people who worked with certain chemicals known as aromatic amines had a very high risk of developing bladder cancer. 4 Long term indwelling catheters – people who manage and treat a bladder problem with an indwelling catheter have an increased risk of developing squamous cell bladder cancer.
Can a bladder catheter cause cancer?
Long term indwelling catheters – people who manage and treat a bladder problem with an indwelling catheter have an increased risk of developing squamous cell bladder cancer. A cystoscopy, where an instrument called a cystoscope is inserted into the bladder through the urethra, can be carried out to check for bladder tumours.
Can bladder cancer cause a burning sensation?
Bladder cancer is unfortunately not uncommon. One of the common symptoms of bladder cancer is blood in the urine. The bleeding is not usually painful and can come and go. There can be a burning feeling when you go to the toilet and you may need to go more frequently than usual or may need to pass urine very urgently.
What were the first cancers that were proven to be caused by a carcinogen?
Advancing age. Smoking. Occupational risks – bladder cancer was one of the first cancers that was proven to be caused by a carcinogen. It was discovered that people who worked with certain chemicals known as aromatic amines had a very high risk of developing bladder cancer .
Can you get bladder cancer from an indwelling catheter?
It was discovered that people who worked with certain chemicals known as aromatic amines had a very high risk of developing bladder cancer. Long term indwelling catheters – people who manage and treat a bladder problem with an indwelling catheter have an increased risk of developing squamous cell bladder cancer.
What is the procedure to remove a bladder?
This is known as a cystectomy. There are two types of cystectomy: a partial cystectomy – where only part of the bladder is removed.
Can you pass urine out of your kidneys after a cystectomy?
If your bladder is removed during a radical cystectomy, an alternative way of passing urine out of your kidneys will need to be found. There are a number of different treatment options, which are described below. In some cases, you may be able to make a choice based on your personal preferences.
Where Bladder Cancer Can Spread
The bladder is a hollow organ that holds urine. It has flexible walls that are composed of several layers. When bladder cancer starts to spread, it grows through each layer of the bladder wall.
Symptoms and Complications
The first symptom of bladder cancer is usually blood in the urine. However, it’s possible to have blood in your urine and not see it. Laboratory testing can identify blood in urine, even when it’s not visible to the eye. As bladder cancer spreads, you may experience other symptoms, too. Advanced bladder cancer symptoms include: 5
Treatment Options
Treatments for metastatic bladder cancer can vary, based on things like how extensively your cancer has spread, your overall health and strength, and your current symptoms.
Living With Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer symptoms and treatments can be overwhelming. No matter where you are on your treatment journey, you’ll need to meet with your healthcare provider for regular checkups and tests. Talking to your healthcare team about the next steps and what to expect can provide a road map during this time.
Prognosis
Metastatic bladder cancer is a challenging diagnosis. Your health, strength, and age will all play a role in your prognosis. How well your cancer responds to treatment is also a significant factor.
Summary
Metastatic bladder cancer is cancer that has spread outside of the bladder to other parts of the body. If you have metastatic bladder cancer, your treatment will be focused on destroying or slowing down cancer cells throughout your body, not just in your bladder.
A Word From Verywell
A diagnosis of metastatic bladder cancer can feel overwhelming, but there’s treatment to help manage symptoms and slow disease progression. No matter where you are on your treatment journey, it’s important to maintain regular appointments with your healthcare provider to keep your cancer under control.
Where does cancer spread?
The cancer has spread to lymph nodes outside the peritoneum, or cancer cells have spread to the surface of the peritoneum, outside the pelvis. 3B. The cancer has spread to the peritoneum outside the pelvis. The cancer in the peritoneum is 2 centimeters (cm) or smaller.
Can peritoneal cancer cause abdominal pain?
Sometimes even when the peritoneal cancer is advanced there may be no symptoms. Early symptoms can be vague and possibly caused by many other conditions. Symptoms of peritoneal cancer can include: abdominal bloating or pain.
Is peritoneal cancer a late stage disease?
Because its symptoms most often go undetected, peritoneal cancer is usually diagnosed at a late stage. Each case of peritoneal cancer is different. Treatment and outlook vary individually.
It usually only affects women and very rarely affects men. Primary peritoneal cancer is closely related to epithelial ovarian cancer. Both are treated the same way and have a similar outlook.
Where does peritoneal cancer start?
Secondary peritoneal cancer can start in the: ovaries. fallopian tubes. bladder. stomach. small bowel. colon. rectum.
What percentage of people with colorectal cancer have metastases?
small bowel. colon. rectum. appendix. Secondary peritoneal cancer can affect both men and women. It’s more common than primary peritoneal cancer. Doctors estimate between 15 and 20 percent of people with colorectal cancer will develop metastases in the peritoneum.
Is peritoneal cancer more common in women than men?
Secondary peritoneal cancer can affect both men and women. It’s more common than primary peritoneal cancer. Doctors estimate between 15 and 20 percent of people with colorectal cancer will develop metastases in the peritoneum.
How many chances of bladder cancer are there?
According to the American Cancer Society, the chance of a man developing this form of cancer at any time during his life is about one in 26, and for a woman, the chance is one in 88. Since bladder cancer that is detected in the early stages has a good chance of cure, awareness of the signs and symptoms of this malignancy are critical.
What are the symptoms of bladder cancer?
The following are signs and symptoms of bladder cancer: Blood in the urine: This is the most common symptom of bladder cancer and occurs in the vast majority of people with bladder cancer. Having blood in the urine does not necessarily mean a person has cancer, since other conditions (including infections) can lead to bloody urine, …
Can bladder cancer be diagnosed early?
Anyone experiencing the signs or symptoms of bladder cancer should be checked by a urologist, who can perform tests to diagnose bladder cancer even in its early stages.
Is bladder cancer more common in men or women?
The cause of bladder cancer is not understood, but certain risk factors are known to increase an individual’s risk of getting bladder cancer. Men are about three to four times more likely than women to develop bladder cancer, and older people are more likely to be affected. Up to 90% of those affected are over 55 years of age.
How many times more likely is bladder cancer in men than women?
Men are about three to four times more likely than women to develop bladder cancer, and older people are more likely to be affected. Up to 90% of those affected are over 55 years of age. Smokers are at an increased risk for development of bladder cancer. Exposure to certain chemicals used in manufacturing and industry …
How long does bladder cancer last?
The five-year survival rate for patients with early stage bladder cancer is 88%. Fortunately, most patients with bladder cancer (up to 80%) will be diagnosed with a superficial tumor.
How long does it take for a bladder tumor to go away?
If a tumor has grown into the wall of the bladder but has not spread to other organs, treatment usually involves surgical removal of the tumor, or combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy, with a five-year survival rate of over 60%-75%.