Introduction
According to the American Cancer Society, bladder cancer will affect an estimated 80,470 people in the United States in 2020. While that number may seem small compared to other cancers, it’s still a significant amount of people whose lives will be changed by a diagnosis.
Bladder cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the cells lining the bladder. The most common symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine (hematuria). While this can be caused by other things, it’s important to see a doctor if you experience this symptom so that they can rule out cancer.
There are several risk factors for developing bladder cancer, including smoking, exposure to certain chemicals, and having a family history of the disease. Treatment for bladder cancer depends on the stage of the disease but may include surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with bladder cancer, it’s important to understand all of your treatment options and what to expect during treatment.
In this blog post, we will explore the symptoms, causes, and treatment options for bladder cancer.
Symptoms of Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer can often be diagnosed in its early stages because it usually causes visible changes to the bladder or urine. The most common symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine, which may appear as pink, red, or brown urine. Other symptoms may include:
-Frequent urination
-Painful urination
-Urinary urgency or frequency (feeling the need to urinate more frequently than normal)
-Feeling the need to urinate but being unable to do so
-Change in urinary habits, such as urinating more at night than during the day
-Lower back pain on one side
Causes of Bladder Cancer
The most common cause of bladder cancer is smoking cigarettes. Other risk factors for developing bladder cancer include:
- being exposed to certain chemicals in the workplace
- having a family history of bladder cancer
- being diagnosed with another type of cancer, such as colon or kidney cancer
If you have any of these risk factors, it’s important to talk to your best urologist Bhopal about your risk for developing bladder cancer.
Treatment for Bladder Cancer
There are a number of different treatment options for bladder cancer, and the best option for you will depend on the stage and grade of your cancer, as well as your overall health.
Surgery is the most common treatment for bladder cancer, and there are a few different types of surgery that can be used, depending on the stage of your cancer. If your cancer is in the early stages and has not spread outside of the bladder, a transurethral resection (TUR) may be recommended. During this procedure, a surgeon will insert a small telescope-like instrument through the urethra and into the bladder in order to remove the cancerous tissue.
If your cancer is more advanced and has spread outside of the bladder, a radical cystectomy may be necessary. This is a more extensive surgery that involves removing the entire bladder, as well as nearby lymph nodes and sometimes other organs such as the prostate or seminal vesicles in men or the ovaries in women. A urinary diversion will also need to be created during this surgery so that urine can still be properly drained from the body.
In some cases, radiation therapy or chemotherapy may be recommended either before or after surgery. Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams to kill cancer cells, while chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. These treatments can help to shrink tumors before surgery or kill any remaining cancer cells after surgery.
Prevention of Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men and the ninth most common cancer in women. The American Cancer Society’s estimates for bladder cancer in the United States for 2020 are:
–About 81,400 new cases of bladder cancer (69,700 in men and 11,700 in women)
–About 17,980 deaths from bladder cancer (15,380 in men and 2,600 in women)
The vast majority of bladder cancers are transitional cell carcinomas (TCCs), which begin in the cells lining the inside of the urinary tract. Other types of bladder cancer are sarcomas, small cell carcinomas, adenocarcinomas, and squamous cell carcinomas. Most of these other types occur more often in people who smoke cigarettes than people who don’t smoke.
Bladder cancer can often be found early because it causes blood in the urine or other urinary symptoms. In its early stages, bladder cancer is usually treated successfully with surgery or a combination of surgery and chemotherapy. When caught early, the 5-year relative survival rate is about 77%. However, when bladder cancer has spread to other parts of the body at diagnosis, the 5-year relative survival rate falls to only about 14%.
You can help reduce your risk of developing bladder cancer by not smoking and by drinking less alcohol. You should also talk with your doctor if you have been exposed to certain chemicals that are known to increase the risk for
Conclusion
Bladder cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the cells lining the bladder. It is important to be aware of the symptoms of bladder cancer so that you can seek treatment as soon as possible if you think you may have it. If you are diagnosed with bladder cancer, there are various treatment options available that your nephrologist in Bhopal will discuss with you.
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