Chronic or repeated urinary infections or inflammations (cystitis), such as might happen with long-term use of a urinary catheter, may increase the risk of a squamous cell bladder cancer.
Both bladder cancer and urinary tract infections cause symptoms like blood in the urine, a frequent need to urinate, difficulty urinating or painful urination. Unlike cancer, however, bladder infections can also cause foul smelling urine, fever and confusion.
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.
Cystitis is inflammation of the bladder, usually caused by a bladder infection. It's a common type of urinary tract infection (UTI), particularly in women, and is usually more of a nuisance than a cause for serious concern. Mild cases will often get better by themselves within a few days.
Bacterial cystitis
UTIs typically occur when bacteria outside the body enter the urinary tract through the urethra and begin to multiply. Most cases of cystitis are caused by a type of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria.
If you keep getting cystitis, a GP may prescribe: a single-dose antibiotic to take within 2 hours of having sex, if you've noticed sex triggers cystitis. a low-dose antibiotic to take for up to 6 months. a vaginal oestrogen cream, if you have gone through the menopause.
A sample of your urine is analyzed under a microscope to check for cancer cells in a procedure called urine cytology. Imaging tests. Imaging tests, such as computerized tomography (CT) urogram or retrograde pyelogram, allow your doctor to examine the structures of your urinary tract.
Bladder cancer occurs mainly in older people. About 9 out of 10 people with this cancer are over the age of 55. The average age of people when they are diagnosed is 73. Overall, the chance men will develop this cancer during their life is about 1 in 27.
They tend to grow and spread slowly. High-grade bladder cancers look less like normal bladder cells. These cancers are more likely to grow and spread.
An ultrasound uses soundwaves to create a picture of the bladder. This scan is used to show if cancer is present and how large it is, but an ultrasound can't always find small tumours. Your medical team will usually ask you to drink lots of water before the ultrasound so you have a full bladder.
It can happen suddenly and may come and go. Your pee (urine) may look pink, red or sometimes brown. You may see streaks or clots of blood in it.
If bladder cancer reaches an advanced stage and begins to spread, symptoms can include: pelvic pain. bone pain. unintentional weight loss.
Bladder cancer is often mistaken for a bladder infection because they share many of the same symptoms. Patients with either condition may experience increased urgency, frequency, and pain with urination or incontinence—the inability to hold in urine.
The vast majority of cases of infectious cystitis are easily treated, and most patients have no long-term complications. However, hemorrhagic cystitis is a potentially deadly complication associated with pelvic radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and stem-cell transplant therapy.
Conclusion. Cystitis is more common than bladder tumors in childhood and can sometimes mimic bladder tumors. Biopsy and histopathological examination is the first step for diagnosis. Treatment options vary according to the diagnosis.
Symptoms are mostly the same in men and women. The most common symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine, known as hematuria. (It is usually not painful.)
Smoking. Smoking is the most important risk factor for bladder cancer. People who smoke are at least 3 times as likely to get bladder cancer as people who don't. Smoking causes about half of all bladder cancers.
Smoking is the single biggest risk factor for bladder cancer. This is because tobacco contains cancer-causing (carcinogenic) chemicals. If you smoke for many years, these chemicals pass into your bloodstream and are filtered by the kidneys into your urine.
The doctor might do a digital rectal exam (DRE), during which a gloved, lubricated finger is put into your rectum. 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.
Depending on the amount of blood present, your urine may look pink, red, or brownish in color. It is also important to realize blood may not always be present in the urine of individuals with bladder cancer—there may be relatively long periods of clear urine (weeks or sometimes months).
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.
Since there's no known cure for chronic cystitis, treatment plans work to relieve symptoms and improve the daily life of a person with cystitis. Lifestyle changes, medication, or physical therapy are among the recommended treatment options. Doctors also suggest keeping track of when your symptoms flare up.
In the following circumstances, you should definitely see a doctor if you believe you may have cystitis: Minor cystitis symptoms do not clear up in 2 days. Cystitis symptoms become more severe (e.g. blood in urine or fever) You get cystitis frequently.
There are a number of treatment options to consider. This might be treating each episode promptly with a short course of antibiotics, a regular low dose of antibiotics taken long-term, or taking a single dose of antibiotic after having sex (if having sex seems to trigger episodes of cystitis).