The effects of bladder cancer
Bladder cancer starts in the cells of the bladder, which is in the lower part of the abdomen. It is a hollow, balloon-shaped organ with a flexible, muscular wall. The bladder collects and stores urine, which is made by the kidneys. Urine then travels to the bladder through two tubes called ureters. When the bladder is full, the muscles in the bladder wall tighten to make the urine leave the body, which exits the body through a tube called the urethra.
There is no single cause of bladder cancer, but some factors increase the risk of developing it. Some people can develop bladder cancer without any risk factors, while others who have these factors do not get it.
Smoking is the most common risk factor for bladder cancer in Canada. The tars and chemicals in the smoke pass quickly from the lungs into the bloodstream and then into the urine, which collects in the bladder.
Men develop bladder cancer more often than women.
Other factors that appear to increase the risk of developing bladder cancer are age, particularly over 65; exposure to certain chemicals, such as those used in the dye industry; chronic bladder irritation; exposure to arsenic in drinking water; treatment with certain medicines, such as cyclophosphamide, which is used to treat cancer and some other conditions; having had bladder cancer before; bladder birth defects; and aristolochic acids, which are found in some plants used in herbal medicine.
Your doctor may suspect you have bladder cancer after taking your medical history and doing a physical exam of the area around your stomach (the abdomen and pelvis). The physical exam may include an examination of the rectum for men and the rectum and vagina for women.
To confirm the diagnosis, your doctor will arrange special tests. These tests may also be used to “stage” and “grade” the cancer and to help plan the treatment.
The most common symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine (called hematuria). The blood can change the colour of the urine to anything from slightly rusty to bright red. The urine may always be bloody, or it may come and go.
Other symptoms of bladder cancer include the need to urinate often (frequency), an intense need to urinate (urgency), trouble urinating, or a burning sensation or pain during urination.
Other health problems can cause some of the same symptoms. The process of diagnosis may seem long and frustrating, but it is important for the doctor to make sure there are no other possible reasons for a health problem.
Your doctor will do one or more of the following tests to make a diagnosis: a cystoscopy, a urine test, a blood test, a biopsy, and imaging studies.
Treatments for bladder cancer could include surgery, chemotherapy, biological therapy, radiation therapy, or clinical treatment trials.
For more information on bladder cancer, please visit cancer.ca.