See a health care professional if you have symptoms of a bladder problem, such as trouble urinating, a loss of bladder control, waking to use the bathroom, pelvic pain, or leaking urine. Bladder problems can affect your quality of life and cause other health problems.
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.
The most common symptom is blood in the urine, called hematuria. It's often slightly rusty to bright red in color. You may see blood in your urine at one point, then not see it again for a while. Sometimes there are very small amounts of blood in the urine that can only be found by having a test done.
Early symptoms of bladder cancer may also include a change in urine habits and/or urinary irritation, such as: Increased frequency of urination (e.g., needing to urinate several times during the night) Experiencing a more urgent need to urinate. Having trouble passing urine.
Doctors may suspect bladder cancer if a patient has symptoms such as blood in the urine or pain when urinating—or if lab tests done for another reason show abnormal results.
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.
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.
Pain may start in your pelvic region, but as it worsens, you may feel pain that radiates into your lower back. Back pain associated with bladder cancer is often felt on one side of the body. You may also experience pain you feel in your bones.
Where can bladder cancer spread to? Not all bladder cancers will spread. But If it does it's most likely to spread to the structures close to the bladder, such as the ureters, urethra, prostate, vagina, or into the pelvis.
Bladder cancer mostly affects older people. About 90% of people with bladder cancer are older than 55. The average age people are diagnosed with bladder cancer is 73. It is estimated that 16,710 deaths (12,160 men and 4,550 women) from this disease will occur in the United States in 2023.
Survival rates for bladder cancer
For example, the 5-year relative survival rate for localized bladder cancer is 71%. This means that people diagnosed with localized bladder cancer are 71% as likely as someone who does not have bladder cancer to be alive 5 years after diagnosis.
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.
If bladder cancer is suspected, most doctors will recommend a cystoscopy. . A urologist uses a cystoscope, which is a long, thin, flexible tube with a light and a lens or a small video camera on the end. For details on how this procedure is done, see Cystoscopy.
Your GP may want to examine you internally. They put a gloved finger into your back passage (rectum) or vagina. This is to see if everything feels normal. The doctor can sometimes feel a bladder tumour during this type of examination.
CT Scans. A CT scan uses X-rays and a computer to create three-dimensional, cross-sectional pictures of the bladder, as well as the ureters and kidneys. A CT scan may be used to see whether bladder cancer has invaded the bladder wall or has spread to other organs or nearby lymph nodes.
If you have metastatic bladder cancer that has spread to your lymph nodes, you may experience swollen feet. This symptom is called edema. It happens when fluid builds up in your body. It mostly affects the feet and the legs.
Tiredness. You might also feel very tired and lethargic a lot of the time. This can happen for a while after treatment, or if your bladder cancer is advanced.
In the United States, bladder cancer occurs more often in men than in women, and more often in White individuals than in Black individuals. Bladder cancer can be diagnosed at any age, but the risk increases as a person gets older. Using tobacco, especially smoking cigarettes, is a major risk factor for bladder cancer.
Bladder cancer occurs when there are abnormal, cancerous cells growing uncontrollably in the lining of the bladder, which is the hollow organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine. These cancerous cells begin to affect the normal function of the bladder and can spread to surrounding organs.
Pathology Tests
The most efficient, noninvasive and inexpensive test is a urinalysis/cytology. Here, a sample of urine is taken from the patient and evaluated for cancer cells, red and white blood cells (which fight urinary tract infections), and microscopic hematuria or infection.