Contents
Symptoms
· Signs of bladder cancer are problems peeing, pain when peeing, needing to go more often than normal, and seeing blood in your urine If signs are pointing to bladder cancer, more tests will be done. Here are some of the tests you may need: Tests that may be done
Causes
People with bladder cancer may experience the following symptoms or signs. Sometimes, people with bladder cancer do not have any of these changes. Or, the cause of a symptom may be a different medical condition that is not cancer. Blood or blood clots in the urine. Pain or burning sensation during urination.
Prevention
· The most common early symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine. The blood either may be visible to the naked eye or only able to be seen under a microscope. Other common symptoms include painful urination, increased frequency or urgency to urinate, needing to urinate in the middle of the night, and pain in one side of the lower back.
Complications
Sound waves create pictures of your urinary tract. It allows your doctor to see how big a bladder tumor is. Chest X-ray. If cancer in your bladder spread to your lungs, this test will allow your …
What are the early warning signs of bladder cancer?
· Bladder cancer can also cause urination changes like: Burning or pain during urination. Having to urinate more than usual. Having a weak urine stream or having trouble urinating. Feeling an immediate urge to go, despite your bladder not being full. Having to urinate several times during the night.
What are the chances of dying from bladder cancer?
· Symptoms of bladder cancer can include blood in the urine, pain when urinating, and feeling like you constantly have to go to the bathroom even if you don’t have to go. Other symptoms can include: Changes in urinary habits, such as needing to go more often, leaking urine, or feeling like you can’t empty your bladder Pain in your lower back or side
How bad is bladder cancer?
· More advanced bladder cancers are often associated with pain. Pain can occur in the flank area, abdomen, or pelvis. Patients can also develop pain in their bones if the cancer has spread to their bones. If you’re having aches and pains in those areas, tell your doctor—especially if you’ve also noticed spotting or UTI symptoms. Decreased appetite.
See more
· Among them is the possibility that it’s due to a type of cancer. Patients who develop tumors in the bladder have an ongoing feeling of heaviness that can prevent them from enjoying food like they used to. 5. Weight loss A loss of appetite and the stress of cancer can combine to cause a patient to lose weight at an alarming weight.
Can a doctor feel bladder cancer?
If you are a woman, the doctor might do a pelvic exam as well. During these exams, the doctor can sometimes feel a bladder tumor, determine its size, and feel if and how far it has spread.
Can you have bladder cancer for years and not know it?
It may be seen as a symptom of post-menopausal bleeding, simple cystitis or a urinary tract infection. As a result, a bladder cancer diagnosis can be overlooked for a year or more.
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.
Where do you feel bladder cancer pain?
Bladder cancer can cause lower back pain when it reaches a more advanced form of the disease. The pain is typically only on one side of the back, but it can be centrally located. Lower back pain might occur once the tumors increase in size or cancer cells start to spread to other parts of your body.
What are the symptoms of stage 1 bladder cancer?
SymptomsBlood in urine (hematuria), which may cause urine to appear bright red or cola colored, though sometimes the urine appears normal and blood is detected on a lab test.Frequent urination.Painful urination.Back pain.
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.
Does bladder cancer pain come and go?
Symptoms often come and go, and are often not severe. The most common symptoms include the following: Hematuria (blood in the urine) — The most common sign of bladder cancer is blood in the urine (hematuria). Hematuria caused by cancer is usually visible (turning the urine pink or red), intermittent, and not painful.
What are the signs that something is wrong with your bladder?
Some common signs and symptoms of bladder issues include:Bladder leakage.Pain or a burning sensation during urination.Cloudy urine.Persistent, strong urge to urinate.Urinating frequently in small amounts.Frequent urination (more than eight times during the day or more than two times at night)Urine that smells strong.More items…
Do you feel bloated with bladder cancer?
Abdominal Pain The types of pains can vary and include: Generalized pain — felt in more than half of the stomach area. Cramp-like pain — less serious and most likely due to bloating and gas.
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…
How do you know if you have bladder cancer?
Signs of bladder cancer are problems peeing, pain when peeing, needing to go more often than normal, and seeing blood in your urine
What is the best test to find out if you have bladder cancer?
Ultrasound: This test uses sound waves to make pictures of the organs inside your body, like your bladder and kidneys. It can help show the size of a bladder cancer and if it has spread. Bone scan: A bone scan can help show if bladder cancer has spread to the bones. This test is not done unless you have bone pain.
What is the blue light on a cystoscopy?
Blue light cystoscopy: Sometimes, special drugs are put into the bladder during the exam. Cancer cells soak up these drugs and then glow when the doctor shines a blue light through the scope. This can help the doctor see cancer cells that might have been missed with the normal light.
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.
Where does urine go when you pee?
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 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.
Where is the bladder located?
The bladder is a hollow organ that stores urine before it leaves your body. It sits in the lowest part of your belly, called your pelvis. Urine is made in your kidneys. 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.
What does it mean when you feel the need to urinate but can’t pass urine?
Feeling the need to urinate, but not being able to pass urine. Lower back pain on 1 side of the body. Most often, bladder cancer is diagnosed after a person tells their doctor about blood in the urine, also called hematuria. “Gross hematuria” means that enough blood is present in the urine that the patient can see it.
Can you see blood in urine?
It is also possible that there are small amounts of blood in the urine that cannot be seen. This is called “microscopic hematuria,” and it can only be found with a urine test. General urine tests are not used to make a specific diagnosis of bladder cancer because hematuria can be a sign of several other conditions that are not cancer, …
Can bladder cancer spread to other parts of the body?
Sometimes when the first symptoms of bladder cancer appear, the cancer has already spread to another part of the body. In this situation, the symptoms depend on where the cancer has spread. For example, cancer that has spread to the lungs may cause a cough or shortness of breath, spread to the liver may cause abdominal pain or jaundice …
Can bladder cancer cause pain?
People with bladder cancer may experience the following symptoms or signs. Sometimes, people with bladder cancer do not have any of these changes. Or, the cause of a symptom may be a different medical condition that is not cancer. Blood or blood clots in the urine. Pain or burning sensation during urination.
How do you know if you have bladder cancer?
Bladder cancer signs and symptoms may include: Blood in urine (hematuria), which may cause urine to appear bright red or cola colored, though sometimes the urine appears normal and blood is detected on a lab test. Frequent urination. Painful urination. Back pain.
How does bladder cancer develop?
Bladder cancer develops when cells in the bladder begin to grow abnormally, forming a tumor in the bladder. Bladder cancer begins when cells in the bladder develop changes (mutations) in their DNA. A cell’s DNA contains instructions that tell the cell what to do.
What is the most common type of bladder cancer?
Urothelial carcinoma is the most common type of bladder cancer in the United States. Squamous cell carcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma is associated with chronic irritation of the bladder — for instance, from an infection or from long-term use of a urinary catheter. Squamous cell bladder cancer is rare in the United States.
What type of cancer is a bladder cancer?
Types of bladder cancer include: Urothelial carcinoma. Urothelial carcinoma , previously called transitional cell carcinoma, occurs in the cells that line the inside of the bladder. Urothelial cells expand when your bladder is full and contract when your bladder is empty.
Why are men more likely to get bladder cancer than women?
Men are more likely to develop bladder cancer than women are. Exposure to certain chemicals. Your kidneys play a key role in filtering harmful chemicals from your bloodstream and moving them into your bladder. Because of this, it’s thought that being around certain chemicals may increase the risk of bladder cancer.
Where does bladder cancer start?
Bladder cancer is a common type of cancer that begins in the cells of the bladder. The bladder is a hollow muscular organ in your lower abdomen that stores urine. Bladder cancer most often begins in the cells (urothelial cells) that line the inside of your bladder. Urothelial cells are also found in your kidneys and the tubes (ureters) …
Where is urothelial cancer found?
Urothelial cells are also found in your kidneys and the tubes (ureters) that connect the kidneys to the bladder. Urothelial cancer can happen in the kidneys and ureters, too, but it’s much more common in the bladder. Most bladder cancers are diagnosed at an early stage, when the cancer is highly treatable.
Early Symptoms of Bladder Cancer
In the earliest stages of bladder cancer, most people do not have symptoms. When early symptoms do occur, they can have many other potential causes that are more likely than bladder cancer. Early symptoms include:
Later Symptoms of Bladder Cancer
Other symptoms are much less common or may occur later during bladder cancer. Some of these symptoms may be due to the spread of a bladder cancer to other regions of the body, and include: 4
Bladder Cancer in Men vs. Women
Bladder cancer is 3 to 4 times more common in people assigned male at birth than in people assigned female at birth. 5
Complications
There are very few complications during the earliest stages of bladder cancer. These may include: 4
When to See a Healthcare Provider
There are currently no guidelines or recommendations for screening people at risk of bladder cancer, including those who have significant risk factors. Clinical trials are ongoing to see if screening may detect bladder cancer early in some populations. 9
Summary
The most common early symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine. The blood either may be visible to the naked eye or only able to be seen under a microscope. Other common symptoms include painful urination, increased frequency or urgency to urinate, needing to urinate in the middle of the night, and pain in one side of the lower back.
A Word From Verywell
Catching bladder cancer in the earliest stages greatly increases your chance for a cure.
How to see if you have tumors in your bladder?
Retrograde pyelogram. Your doctor will insert a thin tube (catheter) into your urethra and bladder. They’ll inject dye through the catheter so they can see the lining of the bladder. If there are any tumors in your urinary tract, they’ll show up here.
What test can show if you have a bladder tumor?
Ultrasound. Sound waves create pictures of your urinary tract. It allows your doctor to see how big a bladder tumor is. Chest X-ray. If cancer in your bladder spread to your lungs, this test will allow your doctor to see it.
How to check for cancer in urine?
When you pee in a cup at your doctor’s office, there are a number of things they and other health professionals can look for: 1 Urinalysis. Your doctor will check to see if there’s any blood, or other substances, in your urine. 2 Urine cytology. Your doctor will use a microscope to check your urine for cancer cells. 3 Urine culture. Your doctor will send your urine to a lab. After a few days, lab technicians will check to see what kinds of germs grow in it. These results will tell your doctor if you have a bladder infection. 4 Urine tumor marker tests. These look for substances that are released by bladder cancer cells. Your doctor may use one or more of these along with a urine cytology to see if you have the disease.
What is a urine tumor test?
Urine tumor marker tests. These look for substances that are released by bladder cancer cells. Your doctor may use one or more of these along with a urine cytology to see if you have the disease.
What tests can be used to check for bladder cancer?
They’ll be sent to the lab to check for cancer. Imaging Tests. These use X-rays, magnetic fields, sound waves, or radioactive substances to create pictures of what’s happening inside your body. Here are just a few of the imaging tests your doctor may use to see if you have bladder cancer: Intravenous pyelogram (IVP).
What do doctors look for when you pee in a cup?
When you pee in a cup at your doctor’s office, there are a number of things they and other health professionals can look for: Urinalysis. Your doctor will check to see if there’s any blood, or other substances, in your urine. Urine cytology. Your doctor will use a microscope to check your urine for cancer cells.
What to do if a cystoscopy doesn’t look right?
If your doctor finds something that doesn’t look right during your cystoscopy, they’ll take a sample of it ( biopsy) to see whether it’s cancer. During a TURBT, your surgeon will remove the tumor and some of the bladder muscle near it. They’ll be sent to the lab to check for cancer. Imaging Tests.
How do you know if you have bladder cancer?
Symptoms of advanced bladder cancer include the following: Urination problems: Inability to urinate. Pain in the lower back: Another indication the tumor has spread is pain, particularly in the area above your pubic bone or the flank area.
What happens when bladder cancer grows out of control?
When urinary bladder cells begin growing out of control, bladder cancer develops. As more cancer cells begin developing, a tumor can form. With time, the cancer can start spreading to other areas of your body, causing various symptoms.
What is advanced bladder cancer?
Bladder cancer is considered advanced when the tumor has grown and penetrated the bladder lining and surrounding layers of tissue and muscle. At this stage, the cancer may have spread to other parts of the body (metastasized). Symptoms of advanced bladder cancer include the following:
How long does it take for urine to clear after bladder cancer?
You may have blood one day and not the next, with your urine staying clear for weeks or maybe even months at a time. Generally, the earlier stages of bladder cancer — when the cancer is small and confined to your bladder only — cause bleeding with either no pain or little pain.
Why do my feet swell up after cancer?
Feeling weak or fatigued: You may feel lethargic and extremely tired a lot of the time. Bone pain: If your cancer has spread to the bone, it can cause bone pain or a bone fracture. Swollen feet: Bladder cancer that has spread (metastasized) to your lymph nodes, for instance, could cause your feet to swell.
Why does my bladder hurt?
Pain in your perineum (the area between the penis/vagina and the anus) might also occur if your bladder cancer has reached tissues nearby. Pain may only be on one side. Weight loss or loss of appetite: You lose weight without trying, or you’ve lost your appetite and aren’t as hungry as usual.
What does it mean when you have blood in your urine?
Blood in the Urine. Blood in urine, often referred to as hematuria, is the most common symptom or sign of bladder cancer . With this symptom: You might have enough blood to change your urine color to pink, orange or, less often, dark red.
What are the symptoms 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. It’s easy for women to overlook because it’s typically painless and can go weeks or even months between occurrences.
Where does bladder cancer pain occur?
More advanced bladder cancers are often associated with pain. Pain can occur in the flank area, abdomen, or pelvis. Patients can also develop pain in their bones if the cancer has spread to their bones.
Why is bladder cancer overlooked?
Bladder cancer may be overlooked in women because it’s easy to chalk up symptoms to a stubborn UTI or normal vaginal spotting. Unfortunately, this means women are often diagnosed after the cancer has spread and become harder to treat. So if you’re worried, don’t just write off your symptoms.
How many recurrences does bladder cancer have?
Bladder cancer has a 50-80% recurrence rate, which is among the highest of any form of cancer. This is why it is imperative to continue to see your physician and be on the lookout for any symptoms of bladder cancer if you’ve had it before. When in doubt, get it checked out. Age is another major factor.
How many chances of developing bladder cancer in women?
Women have a 1 in 89 chance of developing bladder cancer in their lifetime (Source: American Cancer Society – Key Statistics for Bladder Cancer). However, bladder cancer in women is on the rise.
How common is bladder cancer in women?
However, don’t let those stats keep you from learning to spot the warning signs. While bladder cancer isn’t one of the most common cancers in women, about 18,000 women are diagnosed with bladder cancer every year in the United States …
Why are women more likely to get bladder cancer?
The Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network reports that women are more likely to be diagnosed with bladder cancer at an advanced stage because they may not be on the lookout for early signs.