Bladder cancer is the growth of abnormal tissue (tumour) in the bladder.  Treatment will depend on the specific characteristics of the tumour (referred to as “staging” the tumour).

The bladder is a hollow, flexible pouch in your pelvis. Its main job is to store urine before it leaves your body. Your kidneys make pee. Tubes called ureters carry the pee from your kidneys to your bladder. When you use the bathroom, the muscles in your bladder push the urine out through a tube called the urethra.

You get bladder cancer when bladder cells become abnormal and grow out of control. Over time, a tumor forms. It can spread to nearby lymph nodes and other organs. In severe cases, it can spread to distant parts of your body, including your bones, lungs, or liver.

What causes bladder cancer?

Several factors and harmful substances can increase the risk of developing bladder cancer. Smoking and exposure to certain occupational substances are recognised cause of bladder cancer. Sometimes bladder cancer develops without any known cause.

Stages of the disease

Tumours of the bladder without growing into the muscle tissue of the bladder is called non–muscle invasive. These tumours are superficial and represent an early stage. This is the most common type of bladder cancer. In most cases, these tumours are not aggressive and rarely spread to other organs.  They can however appear again (=recurrence) or develop aggressive features (=progression).

Some cancers grow into the muscle of the bladder, this type of cancer has a higher chance of spreading to other parts of the body (metastatic disease).

Blood in the urine is the most common symptom when a bladder tumour is present.

Sometimes urinary tract symptoms such as painful urination or urinary frequency may indicate the presence of a bladder cancer, particularly if other conditions such as urinary infection have been excluded.

Symptoms such as pelvic pain, pain in the flank, weight loss, or the feeling of a mass in the lower abdomen may be present in some cases when tumours are more advanced.

Symptoms such as pelvic pain, pain in the flank, weight loss, or the feeling of a mass in the lower abdomen may be present in some cases when tumours are more advanced.

Treatment of Bladder Cancer

The treatment of bladder cancer will depend on the type of bladder cancer and the stage of the disease. Patient factors such as age and general health are also very important in planning appropriate treatment.

 

Bladder Cancer Signs and Symptoms

Bladder cancer can often be found early because it causes blood in the urine or other urinary symptoms that cause a person to see a health care provider.

Blood in the urine

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. Sometimes, the color of the urine is normal but small amounts of blood are found when a urine test (urinalysis) is done because of other symptoms or as part of a general medical check-up.

Blood may be present one day and absent the next, with the urine remaining clear for weeks or even months. But if a person has bladder cancer, at some point the blood reappears.

Usually, the early stages of bladder cancer (when it’s small and only in the bladder) cause bleeding but little or no pain or other symptoms.

Blood in the urine doesn’t always mean you have bladder cancer. More often it’s caused by other things like an infection, benign (not cancer) tumors, stones in the kidney or bladder, or other benign kidney diseases. Still, it’s important to have it checked by a doctor so the cause can be found.

Changes in bladder habits or symptoms of irritation

Bladder cancer can sometimes cause changes in urination, such as:

  • Having to urinate more often than usual
  • Pain or burning during urination
  • Feeling as if you need to go right away, even when your bladder isn’t full
  • Having trouble urinating or having a weak urine stream
  • Having to get up to urinate many times during the night

These symptoms are more likely to be caused by a urinary tract infection (UTI), bladder stones, an overactive bladder, or an enlarged prostate (in men). Still, it’s important to have them checked by a doctor so that the cause can be found and treated, if needed.

Symptoms of advanced bladder cancer

Bladder cancers that have grown large or have spread to other parts of the body can sometimes cause other symptoms, such as:

  • Being unable to urinate
  • Lower back pain on one side
  • Loss of appetite and weight loss
  • Feeling tired or weak
  • Swelling in the feet
  • Bone pain

Again, many of these symptoms are more likely to be caused by something other than bladder cancer, but it’s important to have them checked.

If there’s a reason to suspect you might have bladder cancer, the doctor will use one or more exams or tests to find out if it’s cancer or something else.