Bladder cancer is a condition wherein cancer develops in the bladder. Cancer.net says that 212,536 people across the globe died from bladder cancer in 2020. The condition usually affects older people, nearly 90% of people with bladder cancer are older than 55. The average age people are diagnosed with bladder cancer is 73. Mayo Clinic says that most bladder cancers are diagnosed at an early stage when the cancer is treatable.
However, even early-stage bladder cancers can come back after successful treatment. Therefore, it is important to keep a check and undergo regular screenings. To diagnose and treat the disease at an early stage, it is important that you spot the early symptoms.
One of the early signs of bladder cancer that can be mistaken for a common health condition is urinary tract infections (UTIs). UTIs are extremely common, however, they can be an important sign of bladder sign. Therefore, if you have frequent UTIs, you can speak to your doctor and they will suggest the necessary steps.
UTIs are common infections that can happen in any part of the urinary tract. This happens when bacteria from the skin or rectum, enter the urethra and infect the urinary tract. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that the infections can affect several parts of the urinary tract, but the most common type is a bladder infection (cystitis).
One of the most common symptoms of UTI is pain while urinating. Other common symptoms of the condition are;
- Blood in the urine (hematuria), which may cause urine to appear bright red or cola-coloured, though sometimes the urine appears normal and blood is detected on a lab test
- Frequent urination
- Back pain
According to Cancer Research UK, bladder cancer is the 11th most common cancer in the UK and the eighth most common cancer in men.
Bladder cancer starts when the cells in the bladder starts to develop changes or undergo mutations in their DNA. These changes tell the cell to multiply rapidly and to go on living when healthy cells die. The abnormal cells form a tumour that can invade and destroy normal body tissue. In time, the abnormal cells can break away and spread (metastasize) through the body.
National Health Service (NHS) says that when the cancerous cells spread beyond the bladder’s lining and into the surrounding muscle, it’s referred to as muscle-invasive bladder cancer or invasive bladder cancer.
Other risks of bladder cancer
There are certain other factors that can increase your risk of bladder cancer. Here are some of them;
- Smoking: Smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes may increase the risk of bladder cancer by causing harmful chemicals to accumulate in the urine.
- Age: Bladder cancer risk increases as you age. Most people diagnosed with bladder cancer are older than 55.
- Gender: Men are more likely to develop bladder cancer than women are.
- Chemicals: Your kidneys play a key role in filtering harmful chemicals from your bloodstream and moving them into your bladder. Because of this, it’s believed that being around certain chemicals may increase the risk of bladder cancer.
- Cancer treatment: Treatment with the anti-cancer drug cyclophosphamide previously increases the risk of bladder cancer. People who received radiation treatments aimed at the pelvis for a previous cancer have a higher risk of developing bladder cancer.
- Genetics: If you’ve had bladder cancer, you’re more likely to get it again. If one of your blood relatives; a parent, sibling or child, has a history of bladder cancer, you may have an increased risk of the disease, although it’s rare for bladder cancer to run in families.
