Bladder-cancer-causes-symptoms and treatment

What is Bladder Cancer?

Bladder Cancer is a condition in which cancer occurs in the urinary bladder.It happens due to uncontrolled growth of cells that make up the urinary bladder which results in a tumor. It is a common type of cancer which begins in urothelial cells of the bladder.

Urinary bladder is a part of the body where the urine gets stored. It is a hollow muscular organ in the lower abdomen of the body. Bladder plays an important role during urination. When someone urinates, the bladder’s muscles start contracting and urine comes out of the body through the urethra.

Types of Bladder Cancer

The type of bladder cancer depends upon the shape of the cancer cell. Following are the main types of bladder cancer:

• Squamous cell carcinoma
  

Squamous cell carcinoma involves chronic irritation in the bladder. It develops in thin, flat squamous cells that can form in the bladder as a result of chronic inflammation and infection.

• Urothelial carcinoma
  

Urothelial carcinoma is a type of bladder cancer that begins in urothelial cells of the urinary tract. The other name of urothelial carcinoma is transitional cell carcinoma (TCC).

• Adenocarcinoma
  

Adenocarcinoma is a rare bladder cancer that happens due to a variety of causes like defects in the bladder at the time of the birth, chronic(occurring since a long time)infection and inflammation in the bladder.

Stages of Bladder Cancer

Stages of bladder cancer can be determined by the tests performed during diagnosis. TNM is a staging system to determine which stage of bladder cancer the patient is in.

• T stands for Tumor

In the tumor stage, the size and location of the tumor is determined. This is the first stage of bladder cancer.

• N stands for Nodes

In the node stage, the spread of the tumor to the lymph node is checked. If a tumor spreads in the lymph nodes then the bladder cancer lies in the node stage.

• M stands for metastasis

A metastasis stage is a stage in which the tumor starts spreading in other parts of the body as well. 

Also Read: What is Urinary Tuberculosis?

What are the Symptoms of Bladder Cancer

The following are the early signs and symptoms of urinary bladder cancer

• Burning sensation or pain during urination.
• Need to urinate frequently.
• Blood in urine or blood clots in urine.
• Lower back pain in one side of the body.
• Need to urinate but unable to pass urine.
• Frequent need to urinate in nights

Who is at the risk of bladder cancer?

Following are the people that are at the risk of bladder cancer.

• A person who smokes very frequently, can suffer from bladder cancer. Not just bladder cancer, smoking also leads to major diseases like kidney cancer.
• If the person has undergone cancer treatment earlier then it increases the chance of having bladder cancer in him/her.
• Males are more likely to suffer from bladder cancer than females.
• Old age people are at the immediate risk of bladder cancer.
• Family history or heredity can also cause bladder cancer.
• A person having chronic inflammation in the bladder.

Diagnosis of Bladder Cancer

It is one of the most important aspect for treatment of urinary bladder cancer.The following are tests done to diagnose the bladder cancer

• Urine Test: The Urine Test is the first test that is done by the doctor to initiate diagnosis of bladder cancer in the person.
• Cystoscopy: Cystoscopy is a test used by doctors to see inside the bladder which helps in diagnosis of Bladder Cancer. Cystoscopy also plays an important role in diagnosis of Chronic urinary tract infections.
• CT scan(Computed tomography): CT scan is one of the most common tests to diagnose bladder cancer.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): MRI is done to capture the detailed pictures from the inside of the body which helps in diagnosing bladder cancer.
• Ultrasound: Ultrasound test is done to create pictures of internal organs which help in determining the size and location of the urinary bladder cancer.

Treatment of Bladder Cancer

Treatment of bladder cancer can be invasive or non-invasive. It totally depends upon the stage of the bladder cancer. Following are the treatment administered to cure the bladder cancer

   Invasive Methods

Invasive methods involve surgery that is done to cure bladder cancer. The following are the invasive methods to treat bladder cancer

• Transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT)
  

This surgery is done to treat cancer and remove cancer that is  confined to the inner layer of the urinary bladder.

• Cystectomy
  

A cystectomy is a procedure in which part of the infected bladder is removed completely. 

  Non-Invasive Methods

Non-invasive methods are those in which no surgery is performed(non-surgical) to treat bladder cancer. Various methods that are involved are as follows:

•  Chemotherapy
  

In chemotherapy, drugs are used to kill the cancerous cells in the bladder. 

•  Targeted Therapy
  

In targeted therapy, weakness of cancer cells is targeted, and with the help of drugs, cancer cells are destroyed.

•  Radiation Therapy
  

In radiation therapy, beams of powerful energy are used to destroy the cancer cells in the bladder

•  Immunotherapy
  

In immunotherapy, drugs are used to make the immune system stronger to fight cancer cells.

Final Words

Cancer is a very dangerous word. But don’t panic. Nothing is bigger than a man’s will. If you or someone you know is suffering from bladder cancer, you can book an appointment with Dr. Sandeep Nunia. He is one of the best urologist in Jaipur, Rajasthan. If you want to know more about him, you can read here.

And if you have any further query or question, you can contact us. We will definitely try to help you in every possible way. 

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