Bladder cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer in men and women. Despite this, many people don’t consider it likely to affect them. Cancer treatment plays a critical part in helping patients live their best possible lives after diagnosis. Signs of this type of cancer can be difficult to detect and may be mistaken for other conditions. Because there are multiple types of bladder cancer, many different types of treatments are also available. However, detecting signs and symptoms early on is crucial for successful treatment and prognosis (outlook). If left untreated, this type of cancer has a high mortality rate and is almost always fatal once it has progressed beyond stage 4 or 5.
Bladder cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the bladder. The bladder is a hollow organ of the urinary system located in the lower abdomen. Urine is stored in the bladder until emptied through the urethra. Urologists can diagnose bladder cancer based on a patient’s symptoms and a physical examination of the urinary tract. And although the exact cause of bladder cancer is unknown, several risk factors increase a person’s likelihood of developing this type of cancer. One such risk factor is the presence of certain genetic mutations that may increase the risk of developing bladder cancer.
Signs and Symptoms of Bladder Cancer
Some early signs and symptoms of bladder cancer include:
- Blood in the urine - Blood in the urine is an indication that cancer has spread to the bladder wall and may even be leaking into the urine.
- Difficulty urinating - Difficulty urinating may indicate a kidney problem or cancer in the bladder pressing on the urethra.
- A strong urine odor - A strong smell in the urine may indicate that cancer is present in the bladder wall or that the urine is leaking into the bladder wall.
- A constant feeling that the bladder is not empty - A feeling that the bladder is full may indicate advanced bladder cancer pressing on the urinary tract or spreading to the abdomen.
- Enlargement of the abdomen -This symptom can occur in people with both early and advanced bladder cancer. It’s a sign that cancer has spread to the abdomen and is generally a result of the tumor pressing on nearby organs.
Treatment for Bladder Cancer
Once bladder cancer has been diagnosed and is present in advanced stages, treatment is to prolong life and reduce suffering. Most bladder cancer treatment aims to control pain, prevent complications, and prolong life as much as possible while also treating cancer.
Bladder cancer treatment may include:
- Surgery to remove cancer and repair damage done by it. Sometimes the bladder or surrounding tissues may need to be removed for cancer to be removed.
- Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that uses cytotoxic agents to eliminate cancer cells. These agents can be delivered directly to the bladder or may be delivered to the bloodstream and then delivered to the bladder using an intravenous catheter.
- Radiation therapy. Radiation treatment uses high-energy, directed beams of light to eliminate cancer cells. This type of treatment is only used to treat advanced bladder cancer that has not responded to other treatments.
Outlook
Bladder cancer prognosis depends on the stage of the disease at diagnosis. The disease is localized in stages 1 and 2 and may be treated with surgery or radiation therapy. The prognosis for these cancers is very good, and almost everyone can be cured. In stages 3 and 4, the disease has spread beyond the bladder walls, and the prognosis is very poor. Treatment is palliative, which means that it is used to relieve symptoms, not cure the disease.
The survival rate for bladder cancer is only 10 percent, so most patients diagnosed with stages 3 and 4 will live for about five years. Bladder cancer has very few warning signs, making it difficult to diagnose in its early stages. Therefore, doctors must rely on other methods, such as blood in the urine, to detect the disease early.