SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF BLADDER CANCER

One bladder cancer symptom is blood in the urine. This is a very common problem, however, and can be caused by many ailments. In fact, blood is present in the urine everytime you urinate, but in such a small quantity that it is invisible to the naked eye. The visible appearance of blood in the urine should always be treated as very serious until the cause has been found. Blood in the urine (known as hematuria) is commonly caused by urinary tract infections and kidney stones. Kidney and prostate cancer are other causes of blood in the urine as well as bladder cancer. As you can see, it is very difficult to automatically deduct bladder cancer from the presence of hematuria, as there are so many other ailments that could cause it.

Other bladder cancer symptoms are urinating often, feeling the need to urinate often but nothing comes out, and experiencing pain during urination. These too are not unique to cancer, as they are also symptoms of a bladder infection and other non-cancerous conditions.

RISK FACTORS

The amount of water you drink can greatly reduce your risk of getting bladder cancer. It has been proposed that bladder cancer is, at least partly, caused by the direct contact of carcinogens on the bladder. Drinking greater amounts of water flushes, or cleans, the bladder out more frequently, thus reducing the carcinogens effects on the bladder.

Supporting this hypothesis is the linear relationship between smoking tobacco and contracting bladder cancer, whilst quitting smoking has been shown to reduce the risk. Smoking is the number one known cause of bladder cancer, responsible for half the cases in men, and a large proportion of cases in women. The more carcinogens brought into the body, such as through smoking, the greater the chance of contracting cancers.

There are some occupations that increase the risk of bladder cancer. This is due to exposure to chemicals that contain carcinogens. These industries include textile, printing, metal and rubber. The particular carcinogens in question are ‘2-Naphthylamine’ and ‘benzidine’; the former is also found in cigarette smoke.

TREATMENT FOR BLADDER CANCER

This depends on how deeply the cancer has affected the bladder. If the infected area is not embedded into the bladder wall, it can easily be removed using electrocautery. BCG immunotherapy can also be used and is also effective in cancers that haven’t yet invaded the bladder wall.

If the disease has already invaded the bladder wall, there are still a couple of options for bladder cancer treatment, but they offer smaller success rates and greater risks. A combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy can be used. Another method is the removal of part, or all, of the bladder. If too much of the bladder is removed, a replacement bladder can, in some cases, be created using intestinal tissue, but usually the urinary stream is diverted.

CONCLUSIONS

The signs and symptoms of bladder cancer are hard to determine from other conditions. If you are experiencing any symptoms of bladder cancer you should always go to a doctor who can diagnose the real cause and provide the relevant treatment. For bladder cancer victims there is hope of recovery. If the disease is caught early enough there is a very good chance it can be removed without re-infection. Every year there are improvements in technology that help us to fight cancer. But of course, the best way to defeat cancer is prevention.

Cancer can strike anyone at anytime, however, by having a good diet, doing a bit of exercise, and refraining from high risk activities, such as smoking and working with dangerous substances, you greatly improve your chances of avoiding the pain and suffering caused by cancers.

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