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Common symptoms -

The most common symptom of bladder cancer and an early indicator that you may have the disease is the presence of blood in urine, a condition known as haematuria.

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Early signs -

Frequent urination and the urgent need to urinate even if your bladder is not full, or being unable to urinate despite having a full bladder, serve as red flags. Experiencing a burning sensation before, during, and after urinating is also among common bladder cancer symptoms.

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When to seek medical advice -

If you have blood in your urine, or if it appears discolored, and even if it comes and goes, you should make an appointment to see your doctor to get it checked. Having blood in your urine doesn't mean you definitely have bladder cancer, but it's important to ascertain the cause as soon as possible.

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Advanced stages -

If bladder cancer reaches an advanced stage and has spread, symptoms can include pelvic pain, back pain, and unintentional weight loss.

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Swelling in the feet and legs -

Puffy, swollen, or heavy feet and legs can also be indicative of advanced bladder cancer. This condition is known as edema and is caused by a buildup of fluid in the body.

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Causes -

Bladder cancer begins when cells in the bladder develop changes (mutations) in their DNA. These abnormal cells start to grow out of control and as more cancer cells develop, they can form a tumor.

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Types of bladder cancer -

There are various types of bladder cancer. Urothelial carcinoma, also known as transitional cell carcinoma (TCC), is the most common type of bladder cancer. This type accounts for about 90% of all bladder cancers.

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Other types of bladder cancer -

Not so common is squamous cell carcinoma, while adenocarcinomas is very rare.

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Risk factors -

Several factors may increase the chances of developing bladder cancer risk. Smoking is by far the biggest risk factor. This is because inhaling tobacco smoke over a prolonged period causes harmful cancer-causing (carcinogenic) chemicals to accumulate in the urine.

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Exposure to chemicals -

Exposure to certain chemicals, specifically those used in the textile, rubber, leather, dye, paint, and print industries, is the second biggest risk factor. It can take up to 30 years after initial exposure to industrial chemicals before the condition starts to develop.

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Increasing age -

Advancing years can increase bladder cancer risk. Though it can occur at any age, the condition is more prevalent in those aged 55 and over. More than 70% of people with bladder cancer are older than 65.

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Gender -

According to Cancer.Net, men are four times more likely to develop bladder cancer than women. However, women are more likely to succumb to the condition than men. In addition, women may experience delayed diagnosis of bladder cancer.

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Race -

Cancer.Net also notes that while white people are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with bladder cancer as black people, black people are twice as likely to die from the disease.

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Previous cancer treatment -

Other risk factors include having undergone previous treatment for cancer. People who received radiation treatments aimed at the pelvic region for a previous cancer, for example bowel cancer, have a higher risk of developing bladder cancer.

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Stages of bladder cancer -

In early stage or non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, the tumors are only located in the bladder lining, called the urothelium. Illustrated is stage 0a superficial bladder cancer.

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Invasive -

Bladder cancer becomes invasive as the cancer grows into deeper layers of the bladder wall. This illustration shows a woman's bladder with a stage II invasive cancerous tumor at the top right of the bladder wall.

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Stage III -

Invasive cancers are more likely to spread and are harder to treat. Illustrated is stage III: the cancer has spread throughout the muscle wall to the fatty layer of tissue surrounding the bladder. It may then spread outside the bladder to the prostate, womb, or vagina.

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Stage IV -

Stage IV bladder cancer denotes that the tumor has spread into the pelvic wall or abdominal wall, or the cancer has spread to lymph nodes outside of the pelvis or to other parts of the body. If cancer cells have spread to other organs or parts of the body—most likely to the bones, lungs, or liver—then a person is diagnosed with metastatic bladder cancer.

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Treating bladder cancer -

The treatment options for bladder cancer largely depend on how advanced the cancer is. Treatments usually differ between early stage, non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, and more advanced muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

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Common treatment approaches -

Surgery, alone or with other treatments, is used to treat most bladder cancers. Your medical team will make recommendations, but remember that the final decision is yours.

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Who treats bladder cancer? -

All hospitals use multidisciplinary teams to treat bladder cancer. Based on your treatment options, you might have different types of doctors on your treatment team, experts that include a urologist—a medical doctor specializing in conditions that affect the urinary tract.

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Clinical oncologist -

Members of your medical team will also likely include a clinical oncologist, a specialist in chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

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Pathologist -

Other specialists on the team usually include a pathologist, someone who specializes in diseased tissue.

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Radiologist -

A radiologist, a doctor who specializes in medical imaging, will almost certainly be among the other members of the team.

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Help getting through cancer treatment -

People with cancer need emotional support and information, no matter what stage of illness they may be in. Some treatments for bladder cancer can have a significant impact on your life, so supportive care provided by loved ones to help with pain, emotional issues, and other symptoms is vital. So, too, is communicating with your cancer care team so you fully understand your diagnosis.

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Statistics -

Globally, approximately 3% of all new cancer diagnoses and 2.1% of all cancer deaths are due to bladder cancer.

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Five-year survival rate -

The five-year survival rate is a type of survival rate for estimating the prognosis of a particular disease, normally calculated from the point of diagnosis. The general five-year survival rate for people with bladder cancer is 77%. The five-year survival doesn't mean you will only live five years. Instead it relates to the percentage of people out of 100 in research studies who are still alive five years after diagnosis. 

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Support -

If you've been diagnosed with bladder cancer there are different types of programs and support services out there that may be helpful, and can be an important part of your care. Seek out dedicated bladder cancer societies and information centers and find out ways to maintain or improve your quality of life. 

Sources: (World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition) (BladderCancer.net) (NHS) (American Cancer Society) (Cancer.Net) (National Cancer Institute) 

See also: Surprising things that can cause cancer

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