Contents
Symptoms
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. Frequent urination
Causes
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.
Prevention
Incomplete emptying of the bladder Passage of tissue fragments in urine (less frequent than other symptoms) The presence of one or all of these signs does not mean you have cancer, but you should be seen by a physician, as these are abnormal bodily functions. Sometimes those diagnosed with bladder cancer do not experience any bleeding or pain.
Complications
· 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
What are the warning signs of 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 Inability to urinate (complete obstruction) Blood clots in the urine Low back or flank pain on one side Perineal pain (pain between the penis and rectum or between the vagina and rectum) An abdominal or pelvic mass
Do you have tailbone pain with cancer?
email. print page. Bookmark for later. Bone pain is a symptom that is experienced by some patients diagnosed with bladder cancer. 1,2 Bone pain is not usually caused by bladder cancer, but it can potentially be a symptom of bladder cancer that is at a more advanced stage. In most patients who are diagnosed, bladder cancer cells start to grow—and can gather together to …
Do you know the early 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.
Should I be worried about bladder cancer?
Is there always pain with bladder cancer?
Early-stage bladder cancer doesn’t usually cause pain or other symptoms besides bleeding. But blood in the urine doesn’t always mean there’s a tumor in the bladder. It’s more likely to be caused by a less serious condition, such as an infection. kidney stones, bladder stones, or noncancerous tumors or kidney diseases.
Where do you get pain if you have 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.
What is usually the first symptom of bladder cancer?
In most cases, blood in the urine (called hematuria) is the first sign of bladder cancer. There may be enough blood to change the color of the urine to orange, pink, or, less often, dark red.
Does pain come and go with bladder cancer?
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.
How do you rule out bladder cancer?
Tests for bladder cancer look for different substances and/or cancer cells in the urine. Urinalysis: One way to test for bladder cancer is to check for blood in the urine ( hematuria). This can be done during a urinalysis, which is a simple test to check for blood and other substances in a sample of urine.
Which of the following is the most common symptom of cancer of the bladder?
Blood in your urine is the most common symptom of bladder cancer. The medical name for blood in your urine is haematuria and it’s usually painless. You may notice streaks of blood in your urine or the blood may turn your urine brown. The blood isn’t always noticeable and it may come and go.
How do I find out if I have bladder cancer?
Tests for bladder cancer look for different substances and/or cancer cells in the urine. Urinalysis: One way to test for bladder cancer is to check for blood in the urine ( hematuria). This can be done during a urinalysis, which is a simple test to check for blood and other substances in a sample of urine.
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 long can you have bladder cancer and not know it?
Even after reporting the problem to their doctors, blood in the urine may be initially misdiagnosed. 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.
Why does my bladder and lower back hurt?
Kidney stones or stones in the ureter (the tube that connects the kidney to the bladder) can cause pain in the lower back. This pain may also radiate to the groin and is often accompanied by painful or frequent urination. An infection in the kidney can also cause back pain and frequent urination.
Does bladder cancer show up in blood tests?
Tests to diagnose bladder cancer If bladder cancer is suspected, these tests may be performed to diagnose the disease: Physical exam. Blood test: Blood samples are used to measure certain substances released into the blood by organs and tissues in the body.
What is the first sign of bladder cancer?
Blood in the urine, either microscopic or visible to the naked eye, is commonly the first sign of bladder cancer. As the cancer grows and spreads to other areas of the body or during treatment for bladder cancer, pain may become a bigger issue. You may experience pain: in the pelvis. in the back.
How to help cancer patients with pain?
Slow, rhythmic breathing and visual concentration on an object are common relaxation techniques that people with cancer can use to reduce pain. They help get rid of muscle tension and soothe the mind.
How to help someone with cancer?
Meditation. Similar to relaxation techniques and distraction, meditation can take your mind off the pain and quiet your thoughts. Some research shows that meditation can ease pain and reduce anxiety and depression among people with cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
Can bladder cancer be removed?
Early bladder cancer can be managed with a minimally invasive surgery, during which the tumor is scraped off the bladder wall from within. More advanced bladder cancer may require surgery to remove the entire bladder.
Can bladder cancer cause a burning sensation?
Bladder cancer can cause changes in urination. You might experience pain or a burning sensation when you urinate, and you may see blood in your urine. an urge to urinate more frequently than you used to. an urgent need to urinate even if your bladder isn’t full. an urge to urinate often throughout the night.
Can bladder cancer cause lower back 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.
Can bladder cancer cause mouth sores?
It can also be caused by treatment. Chemotherapy, a common treatment method for bladder cancer, can cause uncomfortable side effects, such as mouth sores.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
What tests are needed to diagnose bladder cancer?
These may include a CT (CAT) scan, an MRI, x-rays, and bone scans.
Why does my lower back hurt?
The symptom of lower back and/or abdominal pain usually has a cause other than bladder cancer. 3 Strained muscles in the back are the most common cause of back pain in the United States, but other possible causes include: A herniated (or “slipped”) disc between the bones in the spine.
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 the procedure called when you see the inside of your bladder?
A procedure called cystoscopy may be needed, in which a thin tube-shaped instrument with a tiny camera is inserted into the bladder through the urethra (the tube-like organ that carries urine out of the body from the bladder). This can be used to view the inside of the urethra and bladder, and potentially to take small tissue samples if needed …
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 …
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 first symptom of bladder cancer?
Bladder Cancer Symptoms. 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. Other times, blood is microscopic and is only discovered during either a routine lab test or one that was ordered after the patient reported other …
Do you have to be seen for bladder cancer?
The presence of one or all of these signs does not mean you have cancer, but you should be seen by a physician, as these are abnormal bodily functions. Sometimes those diagnosed with bladder cancer do not experience any bleeding or pain. That’s why routine screening and physicals are very important.
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 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.
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.
Can a test show if bladder cancer is growing?
Tests can show how deeply the cancer has grown into the bladder wall.
Can bladder cancer be surgically removed?
Surgery is done for most bladder cancers. The type you have depends on the stage of the cancer.
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 do you know if you have bladder cancer?
The most common symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine that is visible, which is experienced by around 80% to 90% of patients diagnosed. Around 20% to 30% of patients experience other symptoms related to urination, including. Needing to urinate more frequently than usual. Pain or burning before, during, or after urination.
What tests are done to find out if bladder cancer is spreading?
This may include imaging scans, such as MRI, CT/CAT scans, and/or x-rays. For patients with the symptom of bone pain, bone scans may be used to see if the cancer cells have spread …
What is bone pain?
October 2, 2017. Bone pain is a symptom that is experienced by some patients diagnosed with bladder cancer. 1,2 Bone pain is not usually caused by bladder cancer, but it can potentially be a symptom of bladder cancer that is at a more advanced stage. In most patients who are diagnosed, bladder cancer cells start to grow—and can gather together …
What is the procedure to examine the inside of the bladder?
A procedure called cystoscopy can be used to examine the inside lining of the urethra (the hollow tube-shaped organ through which urine flows through the bladder and out of the body) and the bladder. It can also be used to take tissue samples for analysis to detect the possible presence of cancer cells.
What does it mean when you feel pain in your bone?
The symptom of bone pain refers to feelings of pain, tenderness, aching, or discomfort in the bone . 1,2 To find out what may be causing bone pain, healthcare providers usually perform a physical evaluation in addition to other types of testing to help make a diagnosis.
Why does my bone hurt?
There are multiple causes of bone pain, including. Fracture due to injury or accident. Infection. Osteo porosis. Other types of cancer, including leukemia. Overuse of the bone. By providing your email address, you are agreeing to our privacy policy. We never sell or share your email address.
Can you urinate if your bladder is full?
Urgently needing to urinate despite a bladder that is not full. Not being able to urinate, even if your bladder is full. Let your healthcare provider know if you are experiencing bone pain. While bladder cancer is not a very common reason, it is important to diagnose and treat the cause.
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.
How many cases of bladder cancer are diagnosed at an early stage?
Although seven of every 10 cases of bladder cancer are diagnosed at an early stage when the cancer is treatable, post-treatment recurrence is a particular risk, and the disease has a recurrence rate of about 70% 19 .