Items Tagged With Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer cannot be prevented, but you may be able to reduce some of your risk factors for developing it.²

• Cigarette smokers are much more likely to develop bladder cancer than nonsmokers. However, after 1 to 4 years of not smoking, the risk of developing bladder cancer decreases by 40%. Do not smoke or use other tobacco products, and avoid exposure to cigarette smoke. For more information, see the topic Quitting Tobacco Use.
• Avoid exposure to industrial chemicals, such as benzene substances and arylamines. Occupational exposure from working with dyes, rubbers, textiles, paints, leathers, and chemicals increases the risk of developing bladder cancer.
• Avoid exposure to arsenic. Have your drinking water tested and drink bottled water if you think that your water is contaminated with arsenic.
• Eat a healthy diet. Experts believe that what you eat and drink may help prevent bladder cancer.
  • Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables. For more information, see the topic Healthy Weight.
  • Avoid dehydration. Increase your fluid intake, particularly water. Water dilutes cancer-causing chemicals.
  • Vitamin A and vitamin C supplements may provide some protection against bladder cancer.

Bladder Cancer  Bladder Cancer Prevention  Prevent Bladder Cancer 

There are two main surgeries for bladder cancer.

• Transurethral resection (TUR) removes cancerous cells from the bladder.
• Cystectomy removes all or part of the bladder if cancer has spread into the bladder muscle.

Surgery Choices

Surgery to remove cancer

Transurethral resection (TUR) is a surgical procedure that is used both to diagnose bladder cancer and to remove cancerous tissue from the bladder.

Surgery to remove bladder

Cystectomy is the surgical removal of all (total or radical cystectomy) or part (partial cystectomy) of the bladder. It is used to treat bladder cancer that has spread into the bladder wall (stages II and III) as either a first occurrence or as a cancer that returns (recurs) following initial treatment. A radical cystectomy removes the whole bladder as well as the surrounding pelvic organs.

Following surgery to remove the bladder, your surgeon will create a new channel for urine to pass from your body.¹³

• An ileal conduit (also called a noncontinent diversion) uses a segment of your intestine to create a channel that connects your ureters to a surgically created opening (stoma) on your abdomen. This procedure is called a urostomy. After a urostomy, the urine passes from the ureters through the conduit and out the opening into a plastic bag that is attached to your skin. You will empty the bag 3 or 4 times a day, and a larger bag that allows for longer storage can be worn overnight. You will also learn how to care for your urostomy.
• A continent reservoir (continent diversion) uses a segment of your intestine to create a storage pouch that is attached inside your abdomen. There are two types of internal continent reservoirs.
  • Abdominal diversion reservoir. The pouch inside the abdomen connects to an opening (stoma) in the skin. This is another form of urostomy. The opening is smaller than the opening for an ileal conduit, and because there is a pouch inside the abdomen no bag needs to be worn outside your body. You will need to pass a catheter through the opening to release the urine several times a day and during the night.
  • Orthotopic diversion. The pouch in this procedure is sometimes called a bladder substitution reservoir. If your urethra was not removed as part of the cystectomy, you may be able to have this type of procedure. In an orthotopic diversion, the pouch is attached to your ureters at one end and your urethra at the other. This allows you to pass urine through the same opening as you did before surgery. Some people may need to use a catheter to release the urine.

Noncontinent diversions are simpler and may have fewer complications either right after surgery or in the coming months and years. Continent diversion reservoirs eliminate the need for a urine storage bag to be worn outside the body.

What To Think About

Side effects from your surgery can include problems with bowel functioning, such as constipation or diarrhea. Your ability to have or enjoy sexual intercourse may also be affected.

Adhesions may develop after surgery, and a bowel obstruction may occur as a complication if surgery was extensive.

Bladder Cancer  Bladder Cancer Surgery  Surgery to remove bladder cancer 

The most common symptoms of bladder cancer include:

• Blood or blood clots in the urine (hematuria). Hematuria occurs in 80% to 90% of people who have bladder cancer and is the most common symptom. Usually it is not painful.²
• Pain during urination (dysuria).
• Urinating small amounts frequently.
• Frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Symptoms that may indicate more advanced bladder cancer include:

• Pain in the lower back around the kidneys (flank pain).
• Swelling in the lower legs.
• A growth in the pelvis near the bladder (pelvic mass).

Other symptoms that may develop when bladder cancer has spread include:

• Weight loss.
• Bone pain or pain in the rectal, anal, or pelvic area.
• Anemia.

The symptoms of bladder cancer may be similar to symptoms of other bladder conditions.

Bladder Cancer  bladder cancer symptoms  gall bladder attack symptoms  gall bladder symptoms 

What is bladder cancer?

Cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in the body. These extra cells grow together and form masses, called tumors. In bladder cancer, these growths happen in the bladder.

The bladder is the part of your urinary tract that stores your urine until you are ready to let it out. See a picture of the female urinary system or male urinary system.

Bladder cancer can usually be cured if it is found and treated early. And most bladder cancer is found early.

What causes bladder cancer?

We don't know what causes bladder cancer. But we do know that smokers are much more likely to get it than nonsmokers. In fact, experts believe that smoking causes about half of bladder cancer in men and more than one-fourth of bladder cancer in women.

What are the symptoms?

Blood in the urine is the main symptom. Other symptoms may include having to urinate often or feeling pain when you urinate.

These symptoms can be caused by other problems, including a urinary tract infection. Always call your doctor if you see blood in your urine.

How is bladder cancer diagnosed?

To diagnose bladder cancer, your doctor will:

• Ask about your medical history and do a physical exam, including a vaginal or rectal exam.
• Test your urine to look for blood or abnormal cells.
• Do a cystoscopy, a test that lets your doctor look into your bladder with a thin, lighted viewing tool. Small tissue samples (biopsies) are taken and looked at under a microscope to find out if there are cancer cells.

How is it treated?

Treatment choices for bladder cancer include surgery to remove the cancer, anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapy), medicines that help your immune system (biological therapy), and radiation.

The treatment depends a lot on how much the cancer has grown. Most bladder cancers are treated without having to remove the bladder.

Sometimes doctors do have to remove the bladder. For some people, this means having urine flow into a bag outside of the body. But in many cases, doctors can make a new bladder-using other body tissue-that works very much like the old one.

Bladder cancer often comes back. The new tumors can often be treated easily if they are caught early. So it’s very important to have regular checkups after your treatment is done.

It’s common to feel scared, sad, or angry after finding out that you have bladder cancer. Talking to others who have had the disease may help you feel better. Ask your doctor about support groups in your area. You can also find people online who will share their experiences with you.

What increases your chances of getting bladder cancer?

Anything that increases your chances of getting a disease is called a risk factor. The main risk factor for bladder cancer is smoking. Cigarette smokers are much more likely than other people to get bladder cancer.

The choice of treatment and the long-term outcome (prognosis) for people who have bladder cancer depends on the stage and grade of cancer. Your health professional also considers your age, overall health, and quality of life when developing your treatment plan.

Bladder cancer is usually curable if it is diagnosed while the cancer is still contained in the bladder, and up to 80% of bladder cancers are diagnosed at this early stage.³

Treatment choices for bladder cancer may include:

• Surgery to remove the cancer. Surgery, either alone or in combination with radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or biological therapy, is used more than 90% of the time to treat bladder cancer.¹
• Chemotherapy to destroy cancer cells using medications. Chemotherapy may be given before or after surgery.
• Radiation therapy to destroy cancer cells using high-dose X-rays or other high-energy rays. Radiation therapy may also be given before or after surgery and may be given at the same time as chemotherapy.
• Biological therapy to boost your body's immune system to fight cancer cells. This therapy is commonly used to prevent the return (recurrence) of bladder cancer.

Initial treatment

Surgery is used to treat most stages of bladder cancer.

• Small bladder tumors that remain near the surface (superficial) may be burned with a low-voltage electrified probe (electrocautery) during a cytoscopy.
• Transurethral resection (TUR) is used to remove large superficial bladder tumors or tumors that penetrate more deeply into the tissue but have not spread outside the bladder.
• Surgical removal of the bladder (cystectomy) is usually done for the most advanced stages of cancer that is confined to the bladder. Cystectomy may also be done for high-grade bladder cancers or when there are multiple tumors in the bladder. Surgery may not be recommended for an older adult who has a long-term medical condition.

Chemotherapy uses medications to destroy cancer cells. For superficial bladder cancer, the medications may be delivered directly into the bladder using a catheter (intravesically). For cancer that has deeply invaded the bladder or spread to lymph nodes or other organs, chemotherapy may be given orally or intravenously (IV). Side effects may differ, depending on the medications used and your age and overall health. Recent studies show that chemotherapy given before cystectomy (neoadjuvant) may increase the effectiveness of treatment for many people.^{10, 11} More studies are being done.

Radiation therapy, which uses high-dose X-rays or other high-energy rays to destroy cancer cells, is one of the standard treatments for certain types of bladder cancer. Radiation therapy also is used as palliative care to relieve symptoms and preserve kidney function. Home treatment can help manage some of the side effects of radiation therapy.

Biological therapy uses medications to boost or restore your body's immune system. Biological therapy is most often used for superficial bladder cancer. It may be used after a transurethral resection (TUR) to prevent cancer recurrence.