What is usually the first symptom of bladder cancer?
In most cases, blood in the urine (called hematuria) is the first sign of bladder cancer. There may be enough blood to change the color of the urine to orange, pink, or, less often, dark red.
What is the most common cause of bladder cancer?
Smoking is the single biggest risk factor for bladder cancer. This is because tobacco contains cancer-causing (carcinogenic) chemicals. If you smoke for many years, these chemicals pass into your bloodstream and are filtered by the kidneys into your urine.
What are the tell tale signs of bladder cancer?
Ongoing urinary issues
Frequent urination. Pain or burning during urination. Feeling the need to pee, but not being able to go.
Does bladder cancer spread fast?
While it does not invade the tissues, these are usually “high grade” and have the potential to spread quickly. All bladder cancers can become invasive, so treatment is very important.
Is bladder cancer a death sentence?
Bladder cancer is not a death sentence. With chemotherapy and a healthy lifestyle, many people have recovered and are enjoying life cancer-free. After years of successful treatment for bladder cancer, the medical industry has learned a lot about bladder cancer.
Do you feel ill with bladder cancer?
Feeling weak or fatigued: You may feel lethargic and extremely tired a lot of the time. Bone pain: If your cancer has spread to the bone, it can cause bone pain or a bone fracture.
Can you have bladder cancer for years and not know it?
Even after reporting the problem to their doctors, blood in the urine may be initially misdiagnosed. It may be seen as a symptom of post-menopausal bleeding, simple cystitis or as a urinary tract infection. As a result, a bladder cancer diagnosis can be overlooked for a year or more.
What happens to your body when you have bladder cancer?
Overview. Bladder cancer occurs when there are abnormal, cancerous cells growing uncontrollably in the lining of the bladder, which is the hollow organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine. These cancerous cells begin to affect the normal function of the bladder and can spread to surrounding organs.
Do bladder cancer symptoms come on suddenly?
It can happen suddenly and may come and go. Your pee (urine) may look pink, red or sometimes brown. You may see streaks or clots of blood in it.
Does bladder cancer show up in blood work?
Tests to diagnose bladder cancer
If bladder cancer is suspected, these tests may be performed to diagnose the disease: Physical exam. Blood test: Blood samples are used to measure certain substances released into the blood by organs and tissues in the body.
How do you rule out bladder cancer?
Urinalysis: One way to test for bladder cancer is to check for blood in the urine ( hematuria). This can be done during a urinalysis, which is a simple test to check for blood and other substances in a sample of urine. This test is sometimes done as part of a general health check-up.