Contents
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.
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.
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.
Why does urine have blood in it?
More often it’s caused by other things like an infection, benign (not cancer) tumors, stones in the kidney or bladder, or other benign kidney diseases. Still, it’s important to have it checked by a doctor so the cause can be found.
Why do I have trouble peeing?
Having to get up to urinate many times during the night. These symptoms are more likely to be caused by a urinary tract infection (UTI), bladder stones, an overactive bladder, or an enlarged prostate (in men).
How long does urine stay clear after bladder cancer?
Blood may be present one day and absent the next, with the urine remaining clear for weeks or even months. But if a person has bladder cancer, at some point the blood reappears.
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.
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.
What is the male urinary system?
Male urinary system. Your urinary system — which includes your kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra — removes waste from your body through urine. Your kidneys, located in the rear portion of your upper abdomen, produce urine by filtering waste and fluid from your blood. Bladder cancer is a common type …
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) …
How to control urination?
Another way to help control frequent urination, as well as urine leakage and incontinence, is to strengthen the muscles around the bladder and the urethra. Pelvic floor exercises, also called Kegel exercises, involve tightening and then relaxing the pelvic floor muscles, which are the ones that you would use to stop your stream of urine while urinating.
Can you drink water when you are peeing?
To help relieve the symptom of pain or burning during urination, it can also be helpful to avoid drinks that contain irritants, and to drink more water to help dilute irritants that you do consume. There are some prescription and over-the-counter medications that can be used to help treat painful urination, but be sure to talk with your healthcare providers before you start taking any kind of medication for urinary symptoms.
Can bladder cancer cause urination?
It is common for patients with bladder cancer to experience symptoms related to urination. 1,2 Some of those urinary symptoms can be caused by the cancer, while others may be caused by cancer treatments.
Can bladder cancer be removed?
Some patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer require surgery to remove the entire bladder, after which the surgeon typically uses reconstructive surgery to create a new way for the body to store and pass urine. One option for reconstructive surgery is called a neobladder (surgeon creates a new bladder using a piece of intestine). Patients with a neobladder may experience the symptom of urine leakage or incontinence, especially while they are recovering from surgery and adjusting to the neobladder.
What are some ways to make your bladder worse?
You’ll want to stay away from things that can make bladder problems worse. These include caffeine, drinks with alcohol, spicy foods, and tobacco products. Prevent urinary tract infections. Your doctor or nurse will talk with you about ways to lower your chances of getting a urinary tract infection.
How long does it take for a bladder to irritate after radiation?
Radiation therapy to the pelvis (including reproductive organs, the bladder, colon and rectum) can irritate the bladder and urinary tract. These problems often start several weeks after radiation therapy begins and go away several weeks after treatment has been completed. Some types of chemotherapy and immunotherapy can also affect …
What does radiation cystitis mean?
Irritation of the bladder lining ( radiation cystitis ): pain or a burning feeling when you urinate. blood in your urine ( hematuria) trouble starting to urinate. trouble emptying your bladder completely ( urinary retention) feeling that you need to urinate urgently or frequently. leaking a little urine when you sneeze or cough.
What does it mean when you see red in your urine?
Always get in touch with your doctor if you see a reddish color in your urine. This could mean blood in the urine. Let your doctor know if you feel burning or cramping or if you have any pain.
What does it mean when you have a UTI?
pain in your back or abdomen. difficulty urinating or not being able to urinate. In people being treated for cancer, a UTI can turn into a serious condition that needs immediate medical care.
Is it normal for a chemo patient to have a change in their urine?
Talk with your doctor or nurse to learn what symptoms you may experience and ask which ones to call about. Some urinary or bladder changes may be normal, such as changes to the color or smell of your urine caused by some types of chemotherapy.
Do bladder problems go away after treatment?
So talk with them. There may be medicines or exercises to help with some of these problems. And the good news is that most bladder problems go away after treatment.
Where does bladder cancer develop?
Bladder cancer first develops in the inner cellular lining of the bladder . Around 80 percent of cases are non-muscle invasive, meaning the cancer is only in the lining of the bladder, according to Sonpavde. Bladder cancer tends to be caught at this early stage, when blood in the urine is a common symptom.
How common is bladder cancer in men?
Bladder cancer is the fourth-most common cancer in men, who account for around 75 percent of cases.
What is the first line of treatment for bladder cancer?
When bladder cancer is detected at this early stage, the first-line treatment is a transurethral resection (TUR), which removes the cancerous cells and preserves the function of the bladder. This can be followed by an induction course of immunotherapy using the drug BCG, a weakened form of tuberculosis bacteria.
How long does it take for a cystectomy to remove the bladder?
In patients with bladder cancer in the muscle tissue, chemotherapy is administered intravenously for two to three months before the bladder is removed.
Is bladder cancer more common in older adults?
Urinary problems are more common among older adults, when incontinence and urinary-tract infections become more prevalent and bladder cancer risk rises. About 9 out of 10 bladder cancer patients are above the age of 55, according to the American Cancer Society.
Can you get a new bladder after a bladder is removed?
In some cases, after the bladder is removed, a new bladder can be constructed out of a piece of the intestine. “However, bladder cancer usually occurs in older patients, who are less fit,” Sonpavde explains.
Can a tumor cause pain?
As the tumor grows, it can cause pain and difficulty during urination. “More advanced tumors can cause obstructions in other areas of the urinary tract,” Sonpavde says. “The obstruction can cause trouble urinating and also lead to an infection.”.
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?
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.
Overview
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Basic descriptions of the most common types of treatments used for bladder cancer are listed below. Take time to learn about all of your treatment options and be sure to ask questions about things that are unclear. Also, talk about the goals of each treatment with your doctor and what you can expect while receiving the treatment. These types of talks are called “shared decision makin…
Causes
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Bladder cancer develops when cells in the bladder begin to grow abnormally. Rather than grow and divide in an orderly way, these cells develop mutations that cause them to grow out of control and not die. These abnormal cells form a tumor.Causes of bladder cancer include: 1. Smoking and other tobacco use 2. Exposure to chemicals, especially working in a job that requires expos…
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Other factors that increase the risk of getting bladder cancer include a family history of the condition and previous cancer treatment. Birth defects involving the bladder increase the risk of bladder cancer. When people are born with a visible or invisible defect that connects their bladder with another organ in the abdomen, this leaves the bladder prone to frequent infection. This incr…
Treatment
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Surgery for Bladder Cancer Bladder cancer is the most common reason for patients to undergo bladder surgery. Depending on the stage and progression of a patient’s bladder cancer, surgery can be used in combination with other therapies such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy. To treat bladder cancer, many different types of procedures can be done: Additionally in severe cas…
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Early stage cancers are most commonly treated by transurethral surgery. An instrument (resectoscope) with a small wire loop is inserted through the urethra and into the bladder. The loop removes a tumor by cutting or burning it with electrical current, allowing it to be extracted from the bladder. Internal radiation consists of inserting a small pellet of radioactive material ins…
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Recovery from bladder cancer is not always possible. If the cancer cannot be cured or controlled, the disease may be called advanced or terminal.This diagnosis is stressful, and for many people, advanced cancer is difficult to discuss. However, it is important to have open and honest conversations with your health care team to express your feelings, preferences, and concerns. T…
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Treatment options for bladder cancer depend on a number of factors, including the type of cancer, grade of the cancer and stage of the cancer, which are taken into consideration along with your overall health and your treatment preferences.Bladder cancer treatment may include: 1. Surgery, to remove cancerous tissue 2. Chemotherapy in the bladder (intravesical chemotherapy), to trea…
Signs And Symptoms
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Bladder cancer signs and symptoms may include: 1. Blood in urine (hematuria) 2. Painful urination 3. Pelvic painIf you have hematuria, your urine may appear bright red or cola colored. Sometimes, urine may not look any different, but blood in urine may be detected during a microscopic exam of the urine.People with bladder cancer might also experience: 1. Back pain 2. Frequent urinationB…
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One sign of bladder cancer is blood in the urine, also known as hematuria. Blood in the urine does not always mean bladder cancer. Hematuria is most often caused by other conditions like trauma, infection, blood disorders, kidney problems, exercise, or certain medications. Blood in the urine may be seen by the naked eye (gross hematuria) or only detected on urine testing (microscopic …
Risk Factors
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Factors that may increase bladder cancer risk include: 1. Smoking. Smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes may increase the risk of bladder cancer by causing harmful chemicals to accumulate in the urine. When you smoke, your body processes the chemicals in the smoke and excretes some of them in your urine. These harmful chemicals may damage the lining of your bladder, which can i…
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Other factors that can increase your risk of bladder cancer include: 1. radiotherapy to treat previous cancers near the bladder, such as bowel cancer 2. previous treatment with certain chemotherapy medications, such as cyclophosphamide and cisplatin 3. having diabetes – bladder cancer is thought to be linked to certain treatments for type 2 diabetes 4. having a tube in your b…
Prognosis
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As with most cancers, survival rates are dependent upon the stage or extent of spread of the cancer when it is found. About 50% of bladder cancers are detected when the tumor is limited to the inner lining of the bladder, and 5-year survival rates for this early stage of cancer are nearly 100%. Cancers that have spread further typically have lower survival rates. Today the relative sur…
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1. The recurrence rate for superficial transitional cell cancer of the bladder is high (70% within five years). As many as 80% of patients have at least one recurrence. 2. Patients with tumour recurrences within two years have an aggressive tumour and an increased risk of disease progression (especially with recurrences within 3-6 months). 3. The most significant prognostic …
Diagnosis
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There is no single lab test that can specifically screen for and diagnose bladder cancer, even though urine tests may suggest that cancer is present. If a cancer is present, several tests may be abnormal, including urine cytology and tests for tumor marker proteins. A type of endoscopy, cystoscopy, is a procedure that allows visualization of the inside of the bladder through a thin, li…
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Tests and procedures used to diagnose bladder cancer may include: 1. Cystoscopy. To perform cystoscopy, your doctor inserts a small, narrow tube (cystoscope) through the urethra. The cystoscope has a lens that allows your doctor to see the inside of your urethra and bladder, to examine these structures for signs of disease. 2. Biopsy. During cystoscopy, your doctor may pa…
Prevention
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Although there’s no guaranteed way to prevent bladder cancer, you can take steps to help reduce your risk. For instance: 1. Don’t smoke. Not smoking means that cancer-causing chemicals in smoke can’t collect in your bladder. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you smoke, talk to your doctor about a plan to help you stop. Support groups, medications and other methods may help …
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There is no known way to prevent bladder cancer, but it is always advisable to follow a healthy lifestyle. Stop smoking and limit alcohol consumption to 1 to 2 drinks a day. A healthy diet contains lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and correct portion sizes of lean meats. Regular exercise and having checkups can also help you support your health and provide peace of mind…
Epidemiology
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Bladder cancer can affect anyone, but certain groups are at greater risk. Men are three times more likely than women to get bladder cancer. Around 90% of cases occur in people over age 55, and whites are twice as likely as African Americans to develop the condition.
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1. Bladder cancer is the seventh most common cancer in the UK. It is the most frequently occurring tumour of the urinary system and accounts for around 1 in every 30 new cases of cancer each year in the UK. Bladder cancer is the 4th most common cancer in men and the 11th most common in women. 2. The overall incidence in the UK is 11.4 per 100,000 population. 3. Bl…
Recurrence
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A remission is when cancer cannot be detected in the body and there are no symptoms. This may also be called having “no evidence of disease” or NED.A remission may be temporary or permanent. This uncertainty causes many people to worry that the cancer will come back. While many remissions are permanent, it is important to talk with your doctor about the possibility of t…
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Bladder cancer that comes back after treatment (a recurrence) has a poorer prognosis than bladder cancer that happens for the first time (a primary tumour). The more recurrences, the poorer the prognosis.Non-invasive bladder cancer that comes back soon (a few months) after treatment tends to have a less favourable prognosis than a cancer that comes back long after tr…