According to recent studies, Bladder cancer was found to be more prevalent in men compared to women. Cance of the bladder occurs when cancerous cells begin to develop in the bladder. The bladder a muscular and hollow organ located in your lower abdomen and its primary purpose is to store urine before being released. Malignant cells tend to spread to other body organs in the urinary tract system quickly if left untreated. They are considered life-threatening. Luckily, most bladder cancer cases are detected early bettering the chances of the condition being treated. Below is all the information regarding Bladder Cancer that might help you take action.
What are the signs of bladder cancer?
Blood in urine
In many cases, the first sign of bladder cancer usually in hematuria, blood in the urine. The blood may present itself in different quantities that will change the colour of urine to pink, orange, red or at times dark red. In some cases, the colour of urine is normal perhaps even clear with small amounts of blood that can only be detected during urinalysis (urine test). Urinalysis is usually conducted when other symptoms of bladder cancer start to manifest or just part of a general medical check-up.
The consistency is spotting blood in urine may not be regular. However, a person with bladder cancer at some point must have some blood spotting in urine. During the first stages of cancer of the bladder, a patient will bleed and dispose of it via urine but with little or no pain.
Blood in the urine will not always certify the presence of bladder cancer. Other causes include infections, benign growths (not cancerous), kidney or bladder stones or a symptom of other kidney diseases. It is vital to check in with a doctor immediately you see this first sign.
Change in urination patterns
You might have noticed a few changes in your normal urination patterns. It could have become more frequent than usual. There may be some burning or pain felt while urinating. The urination patterns could become more frequent in the night when sleeping or probably it’s a weak urine stream giving you trouble. You might also notice that you can’t press urine for long even when the bladder isn’t necessarily full.
These signs can also be triggered by urinary tract infections, an overactive bladder, bladder stones or enlarged prostate. Whichever infection is causing these urinary symptoms needs to be checked by a doctor and treated immediately.
Advanced symptoms in later stages of bladder cancer
Later stages of bladder cancer are when the cancerous cells have grown large and are spreading to other organs. The symptoms may include bone pain, inability to urinate, fatigue, drastic weight loss, swelling feet, lower back pains and loss of appetite. Get Bladder Cancer Information as much as you can get to be aware of the symptoms and if you or your loved one has been experiencing any of the above, it is important to have the doctor ascertain the condition and start treatments.
Treatment options
Depending on the stage of cancer, the grade of tumour and the type of cancer your treatment options may include:
Surgery– this treatment option removes the cancerous tissue through a surgical operation.
Chemotherapy– it treats tumours that are attached to the lining of the bladder and have high chances of occurring once again in the future.
Reconstruction– it entails on removing the infected bladder and creating a new path for urine to exit the body during excretion.
Immuno-therapy– it induces the body’s immune system with extra immune support to fight cancer cells in the bladder. This is normally induced when the cancer is still in its early days.
Radiation therapy– where surgery is not preferred, radiation therapy may proceed. It destroys cancer cells through laser technology.
Depending on how progressive the cancer is, a combination of treatments may be recommended by your oncologist.