Bladder cancer is a type of cancer that arises from the tissues of the urinary bladder, primarily presenting with symptoms such as blood in urine and painful urination. It is highly treatable, with treatment options including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, and has a five-year survival rate of approximately 77%. Risk factors include smoking, certain chemical exposures, and genetic predisposition, with diagnosis typically made through cystoscopy and staging evaluated via imaging techniques.

1. WHAT IS BLADDER CANCER?
Bladder Cancer
Bladdercancersymptomsinclude painlessbloodinthe urine orfrequentandpainful urination.Bladder
cancer ishighlytreatable withoptionssuchassurgery,chemotherapyandradiation.Bladdercanceris
any of several typesof cancerarisingfromthe tissuesof the urinarybladder.
It isa disease inwhichcellsgrowabnormallyandhave the potentialtospreadtootherparts of the
body.Symptomsinclude bloodinthe urine,painwithurination,andlow backpain.
Riskfactors forbladdercancerinclude smoking,familyhistory,priorradiationtherapy,frequentbladder
infections,andexposure tocertainchemicals.The mostcommontype istransitional cellcarcinoma.
Othertypesinclude squamouscellcarcinomaand adenocarcinoma.Diagnosisistypicallybycystoscopy
withtissue biopsies.Stagingof the canceris typicallydeterminedbymedical imagingsuchasCT scan
and bone scan.
Treatmentdependsonthe stage of the cancer. Itmay include some combinationof surgery,radiation
therapy,chemotherapy,orimmunotherapy.Surgical optionsmayincludetransurethral resection,partial
or complete removal of the bladder,orurinarydiversion.Typical five-yearsurvival ratesinthe United
Statesare 77%.
Bladdercancer, as of 2015, affectsabout3.4 millionpeople with430,000 new casesa year.Age of onset
ismost oftenbetween65 and85 yearsof age.Malesare more oftenaffectedthanfemales.In2015 it
resultedin188,000 deaths.
The most commontype of bladdercancer is transitional cell carcinoma,whichbeginsinurothelial cells
that line the inside of the bladder.Urothelial cellsare transitionalcells,whichare able tochange shape
and stretchwhenthe bladderisfull.Thistype of cancerisalso calledurothelial carcinoma.Othertypes
of bladdercancerinclude squamouscellcarcinoma(cancerthatbeginsinthin,flatcellsliningthe
bladder) andadenocarcinoma(cancerthatbeginsincellsthatmake andrelease mucusandother
fluids).
People whosmoke have anincreasedriskof bladdercancer.Beingexposedtocertainchemicalsand
havingchronicbladderinfectionscanalsoincrease the riskof bladdercancer.
The most commonsignof bladdercancerisbloodinthe urine.Bladdercancerisoftendiagnosedatan
earlystage,whenthe canceris easiertotreat.
What Is Bladder Cancer?
The bladderisa hollow,flexiblepouchinyourpelvis.Itsmainjobistostore urine before itleavesyour
body.Your kidneysmake pee.Tubescalledureterscarrythe pee fromyour kidneystoyourbladder.
Whenyouuse the bathroom,the musclesinyourbladderpushthe urine outthrougha tube calledthe
urethra.

2. You getbladdercancerwhencellsinside of itgrow outof control.Overtime,atumor forms.It can
spreadto nearbyfatand tissue.Insevere cases,itcanspreadto distantparts of your body,including
your lymphnodes,bones,lungs,orliver.
Bladdercanceris rare.It accounts for just5% of all new cancersinthe U.S.
Types ofbladder cancer
Differenttypesof cellsinyourbladdercanbecome cancerous.The type of bladdercell where cancer
beginsdeterminesthe type of bladdercancer.The type of bladdercancerdetermineswhichtreatments
may workbestfor you.
Types ofbladder cancer include:
 Urothelial carcinoma.Urothelialcarcinoma,previouslycalledtransitional cellcarcinoma,occurs
inthe cellsthatline the inside of the bladder.Urothelial cellsexpandwhenyourbladderisfull
and contract whenyourbladderisempty.These same cellsline the inside of the uretersandthe
urethra,and tumorscan form inthose placesaswell.Urothelial carcinomaisthe mostcommon
type of bladdercancer inthe UnitedStates.
 Squamouscell carcinoma.Squamouscell carcinomaisassociatedwithchronicirritationof the
bladder,forinstance fromaninfectionorfromlong-termuse of aurinarycatheter.Squamous
cell bladdercancerisrare inthe UnitedStates.It’smore commoninparts of the worldwhere a
certainparasiticinfection(schistosomiasis) isacommoncause of bladderinfections.
 Adenocarcinoma.Adenocarcinomabeginsincellsthatmake upmucus-secretingglandsinthe
bladder.Adenocarcinomaof the bladderisrare inthe UnitedStates.
Risk factors
Factors that may increase bladdercancer risk include:
 Smoking.Smokingcigarettes,cigarsorpipesmayincrease the riskof bladdercancerbycausing
harmful chemicalstoaccumulate inthe urine.Whenyousmoke,yourbodyprocessesthe
chemicalsinthe smoke andexcretessome of theminyoururine.These harmful chemicalsmay
damage the liningof yourbladder,whichcanincrease yourriskof cancer.
 Increasingage.Bladdercancerriskincreasesasyouage. Bladdercancercan occur at anyage,
but it’srarelyfoundinpeople youngerthan40.
 Beingwhite.White peoplehave agreaterriskof bladdercancerthando people of otherraces.
 Beinga man.Men are more likelytodevelopbladdercancerthanwomenare.
 Exposure tocertainchemicals.Yourkidneysplayakeyrole infilteringharmful chemicalsfrom
your bloodstreamandmoving themintoyourbladder.Because of this,it’sthoughtthatbeing
aroundcertainchemicalsmayincrease the riskof bladdercancer.Chemicalslinkedtobladder
cancer riskinclude arsenicandchemicalsusedinthe manufacture of dyes,rubber,leather,
textilesandpaintproducts.

3.  Previouscancertreatment.Treatmentwiththe anti-cancerdrugcyclophosphamide increases
the riskof bladdercancer.People whoreceivedradiationtreatmentsaimedatthe pelvisfora
previouscancerhave an elevatedriskof developingbladdercancer.
 Chronicbladderinflammation.Chronicorrepeatedurinaryinfectionsorinflammations(cystitis),
such as mighthappenwithlong-termuse of a urinarycatheter,mayincrease the riskof a
squamouscell bladdercancer.Insome areasof the world,squamouscell carcinomaislinkedto
chronicbladderinflammationcausedbythe parasiticinfectionknownasschistosomiasis.
 Personal orfamilyhistoryof cancer.If you’ve hadbladdercancer,you’re more likelytogetit
again.If one of your first-degree relatives — aparent,siblingorchild — hasa historyof bladder
cancer, youmay have an increasedriskof the disease,althoughit’srare forbladdercancerto
run infamilies.A familyhistoryof hereditarynonpolyposiscolorectalcancer,alsocalledLynch
syndrome,canincrease the riskof cancer inthe urinarysystem, aswell asinthe colon,uterus,
ovariesandotherorgans.
Whois affected?
About10,000 people are diagnosedwithbladdercancereveryyearandit’sthe seventhmostcommon
cancer inthe UK.
The conditionismore commoninolderadults,withmore thanhalf of all new casesdiagnosedinpeople
aged75 and above.
Bladdercanceris alsomore commonin menthanin women,possiblybecauseinthe past,menwere
more likelytosmoke andworkinthe manufacturingindustry.
What CausesIt?
Doctors aren’tsure.But theydoknowthat several thingsincrease yourriskforthe disease.They
include:
Geneticmakeup,race,andfamilyhistory.Bladdercancerismostcommonin white menoverage 40. If
youor someone inyourimmediate family(parentsorsiblings) hashadcancerof the bladderor the
urinarytract before,you’re more likelytogetit.
Chronicbladderinflammation.If youhave bladderinfectionsthatkeepcomingbackor another
conditionthatcausesyourbladdertobe irritatedforlongperiodsof time,youstanda betterchance of
gettingbladdercancer.
Smoking.Everytime youinhale tobaccofumes,you’re takinginall kindsof harmful chemicals.Over
time,these buildupinyourbladder.Youmaypee some of themout.But theycan still damage the lining
of yourbladderandput youat risk forcancer.
Workingaroundharmful chemicals.People whoworkincertainindustries(painters,machinists,
printers,hairdressers,andtruck drivers,amongothers) maybe exposedtoharmful chemicalsforlong
periodsof time.Thiscanincrease theirriskof disease.

4. Takingcertaindiabetesmedications.If you’ve takenpioglitazone (Actos)formore thana year,you may
standa greaterchance of gettingbladdercancer.Otherdiabetesmedsthatcontainpioglitazone
(ActoplusMetandDuetact) can alsoraise yourrisk.
Priorchemoor radiationtreatment.If you’ve hadradiationtherapytoyourpelvis,you’re more likelyto
developbladdercancer.The same istrue if you’ve takenthe chemomedicationcyclophosphamide
(Cytoxan) foralongtime.
The 5-year survival rate forbladdercanceris about77%. That meansthatabout 7 out of 10 people who
are diagnosedwiththe disease will still be alive5yearslater.But that’sjustan estimate.Youroutcome
isbasedon your unique situation.Thatincludesthingslike yourage,overall health,how earlythe cancer
was found,andhowwell itrespondstotreatment.
Symptoms
Bladder cancer signs and symptoms may include:
 Bloodinurine (hematuria)
 Painful urination
 Pelvicpain
If you have hematuria,yoururine mayappearbrightredor cola colored.Sometimes,urinemaynotlook
any different,butbloodinurine maybe detectedduringamicroscopicexamof the urine.
People withbladdercancer might alsoexperience:
 Back pain
 Frequenturination
But, these symptomsoftenoccurbecause of somethingotherthanbladdercancer.
What Are the Symptoms of Bladder Cancer?
The most common — andoften,the first — symptomis bloodinyour urine.Itmay be justa little,orit
can be enoughtochange the color of your pee.Itmay turn orange,pink,ordarkerred.
You may see bloodone day,butnot the next.If youhave bladdercancer,the bloodeventuallycomes
back. Insome cases,you can’tsee bloodinyour urine.Yourdoctor or labtech will onlysee itundera
microscope.
Make an appointmentif you have any of these other symptoms:
 You have to pee more oftenthanusual
 Your urine changescolor
 It hurtsor burnswhenyoupee

5.  You feel like youhave topee — evenif yourbladder’snotfull
 You can’t pee,oryou pee verylittle
If you notice anyof these things,call yourdoctor,butdon’tpanic.Havingthese symptomsdoesn’tmean
youhave cancer. You couldhave a urinarytract infection,bladderinfection,orsome otherlessserious
condition.
Once bladdercancer starts to spread, you may notice that:
 You can’t pee,evenwhenyoufeel like youhave to
 Your lowerbackhurts
 You’re losingweightwithouttrying
 You’re not as hungry as usual
 You have swollenfeet
 Your boneshurt
 You oftenfeel extremelytiredorweak
Again,see yourdoctorif anyof these thingshappentoyou.Theycouldalsosignal thatyouhave
somethingotherthanbladdercancer.
How Do I Know If I Have Bladder Cancer?
To findoutwhetheryouhave bladdercancer,the firstthingyourdoctor probablywill doisa complete
medical history.He’llaskyouaboutyour overall health,aswell asanythingthatincreasesyourrisk,like
havinga familymemberwhohadbladder cancer.
Next,he’ll probablydophysical exam.Thismayinclude apelvicexam(forwomen) oradigital rectal
exam(DRE).In thisprocedure,yourdoctorwill putona glove andinsertone fingerintoyourrectum.
Thiswill allowhimtofeel atumorin yourbladder.It’ll alsogive himanideaof how bigit isor whetherit
has spread.
If your doctor findssomethingthat’snotnormal,he’ll orderlabtests.He mightalsosendyoutosee a
urologist.That’sadoctor whofocusesondiseasesaffectingthe urinarysystem(kidneys,bladder,etc.)
and male reproductive system.Yoururologistmayrunthe followingteststogeta betterideaof what’s
goingon:
Urine Tests
Whenyoupee in a cup at your doctor’soffice,there are anumberof thingshe and other health
professionalscanlookfor:
 Urinalysis.Yourdoctorwill checkto see if there’sanyblood,orothersubstances,inyoururine.
 Urine cytology.Yourdoctor will use amicroscope to checkyour urine forcancer cells.

6.  Urine culture.Your doctorwill sendyoururine toa lab. Afterafew days,lab technicianswill
checkto see whatkindsof germsgrow in it.These resultswill tell yourdoctorif youhave a
bladderinfection.
 Urine tumor markertests.These lookforsubstancesthatare releasedbybladdercancercells.
Your doctor mayuse one or more of these alongwithaurine cytologytosee if youhave the
disease.
Cystoscopy
Your doctor will place acystoscope throughthe openingof yoururethra — the duct that you pee
through— andinto yourbladder.
The cytoscope isa thintube witha lightandvideocameraon the end.Your doctor will injectsaltwater
throughthe tube and intoyour bladder.Thiswill allow himtosee the innerliningof yourbladderwith
the camera.
He maygive youmedicine tonumbyoururethraand bladder.If the procedure isdone inthe operating
room,you’ll be givenanesthesiasoyouwon’tbe awake.
What Are the Stages of Bladder Cancer?
Bladdercancer,like othercancers,ismeasuredinstages.The stagesdescribe how faryour cancer has
spread.Thiskeypiece of informationwill helpyouandyourdoctor choose the besttreatmentforyour
unique case.
There are twotypesof stagesfor bladdercancer — the clinical stage andthe pathologicstage.
The clinical stage isyour doctor’sinformedopinionof how faryourcancer has spread.Thisisbasedon
resultsof a numberof tests,includingphysical exams,imagingtestslike MRIsorCT scans, and biopsies.
Your doctor will use thisinformationtoplanyourtreatment.
The pathologicstage issomethingyourdoctordeterminesaftersurgerytoremove the cancer.He’ll look
at previoustestresults.He’ll alsoexaminewhathe foundduringsurgerytogive youan ideaof howfar
your cancerhas spread.
Bladder Cancer Treatments:What to Know
If you have bladdercancer,there are several available treatmentoptions.Yourdoctorwill helpyou
decide whichtreatmentisbestforyouandthiswill dependonanumberof things.These include your
age,howmuch the cancer has spread(doctorscall thisyour cancer “stage”),andany otherhealth
conditionsyouhave.
Surgery

7. Transurethral resectionof bladdertumor(TURBT) is the mostcommonsurgeryfor bladdercancerthat’s
inthe earlystages.Thisprocedure isdone ina hospital,butyoushouldbe able togohome the same day
or the next.
Your doctor will putaninstrumentcalledaresectoscope intoyourbladderthroughyoururethra.That’s
the tube that urine flowsthroughwhenyougoto the bathroom.The resectoscope hasa wire loopat
the end.Your doctor will use ittoremove abnormal tissuesortumors.If youstill have cancerafterthe
tumor isremoved,yourdoctorcan destroyitusinga laserand anothertool calledacystoscope.
Prevention
Althoughthere’snoguaranteedwaytopreventbladder cancer,youcan take stepsto helpreduce your
risk.For instance:
 Don’tsmoke.Notsmokingmeansthatcancer-causingchemicalsinsmoke can’tcollectinyour
bladder.If youdon’tsmoke,don’tstart.If you smoke,talktoyour doctorabout a planto help
youstop. Supportgroups,medicationsandothermethodsmayhelpyouquit.
 Take cautionaround chemicals.If youworkwithchemicals,follow all safetyinstructionstoavoid
exposure.
 Choose a varietyof fruitsandvegetables.Choose adietrichina varietyof colorful fruitsand
vegetables.The antioxidantsinfruitsandvegetablesmayhelpreduce yourriskof cancer.
For more informationvisitusourwebsite:http://www.healthinfi.com