Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers and affects both men and women. However, the disease is more prevalent in men. According to estimates, bladder cancer is diagnosed in more than 250,000 every year. This indicates the seriousness of the disease.
Like many other diseases, bladder cancer exhibits certain signs and symptoms. It is imperative to be aware of these symptoms as it will enable the patient to contact a doctor and get the necessary treatment before the disease assumes life-threatening proportions.
If bladder cancer is detected early, it can be prevented from spreading. So do not ignore the symptoms, immediately seek an appointment with a doctor at Max Healthcare, Max Hospital India, BLK-Max or any other reputed hospital.
What is bladder cancer?
Before we talk about the bladder cancer symptoms, it is necessary to gain information about bladder cancer.
The bladder is located in the lower abdomen. The primary task of the bladder is to store urine before it is discharged from the body. So any disease relating to the bladder, like bladder cancer, can cause severe discomfort to the patient.
Bladder cancer occurs when the urothelial cells, which form the urinary bladder, become unmanageable or get out of control. They slowly form a tumour and start spreading to other areas or organs of the body. If not treated on time, bladder cancer can become a serious complication.
Symptoms of bladder cancer
Bladder cancer symptoms are very prominent and begin to emerge at the disease’s early stage, enabling the patient to seek help from healthcare personnel. Some symptoms of bladder cancer are:
- Blood in the urine: If the patient experiences blood in the urine, there is a high possibility that they may have bladder cancer. The medical condition is also known as hematuria and is one of the most common symptoms of bladder cancer. In this condition, urine’s colour may change to pink, orange or red. But it is not necessary that the patient may notice blood. The urine may appear normal, but some amount of blood may be detected during a lab analysis. One aspect of this condition is that the blood in the urine is not permanent. Therefore, the person may see blood one day, but not the next day.
- Bladder problems: Cancer may also give rise to bladder complications, leading to changes in urination. Some changes are:
- During urination, the patient may feel pain or a burning sensation.
- The frequency of urination may increase more than average.
- Despite a bladder not being full, the patient may feel the urge to urinate.
- The patient will find it difficult to urinate.
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Loss of appetite: Bladder cancer may also lead to poor appetite. This is accompanied by weight loss.
- Abdominal pain: Cancer spreading to the liver will result in extreme pain in the abdomen.
- Cough or shortness of breath may occur if cancer has reached the lungs.
- Bone pain: Cancer has the potential to spread to the bones and can cause severe bone pain.
- Swollen feet and legs indicate that the cancer has spread from the bladder to the kidney and is preventing the kidneys from working properly.
These bladder cancer symptoms are related but not limited to bladder cancer. For example, some bladder problems that have been mentioned above may be due to bladder stones or other bladder issues. Similarly, some symptoms are also associated with various other diseases. Nevertheless, it is necessary to get screened and diagnosed for bladder cancer to ascertain whether the symptoms are of cancer or some other disease.
Treatment
If you have any of the symptoms mentioned above, the doctor will perform some tests and procedures to determine the presence of bladder cancer. If cancer is detected, the doctor may recommend treatments mentioned below.
- Radiation therapy: To target and destroy cancer cells.
- Chemotherapy for the bladder or the entire body
- Immunotherapy: A procedure wherein the body’s immune system will be strengthened to fight cancer.
- Targeted therapy: this procedure is recommended when cancer has reached an advanced stage.
- Surgery: The doctor will remove the cancerous part.
Precautions
It is difficult to prevent bladder cancer completely, but its risks can be lessened by taking certain precautions. Some precautions that need to be adhered to include:
- Avoid smoking
- Avoid places where chemicals are used.
- Include fresh vegetables and fruits in your daily diet
- Have plenty of water.
Final thoughts
Bladder cancer is a serious disease. However, if you are aware of the symptoms and can detect them early, you can get yourself or a loved one treated for the disease at a leading hospital. Early treatment will prevent the disease from becoming dangerous.
So if you find any symptoms of bladder cancer, visit Max Healthcare and avail high quality treatment.
