Bladder Cancer: Signs and Symptoms

Bladder cancer is a very common type of cancer which affects the urinary bladder. Bladder is the organ which acts as a reservoir to collect urine until it is excreted from the body. One man in every thirty has the risk to develop this disease. Over 10000 cases are diagnosed each year in the UK. There is a risk of developing bladder cancer among the countries of Egypt and Iraq. It is estimated that half of all bladder cancers occurs in men and one third in women is the result of smoking. Diagnosis of bladder cancer is done by sending urine sample for a test to analyze the presence of abnormal cells. The next test is cytoscopy, in which the patient is given local anesthesia and a thin tube is inserted through urethra into the bladder. With the help of fiber optics over the tube, the doctor inspects the inner side of the bladder and there by detect the presence of bladder cancer.

The symptoms of bladder cancer are few but are noticeable. In some cases blood stains are found in the urine in various amounts and colors. . The color of blood varies from pink to red to brown. This condition is known as Hematuria. Sometimes blood clots also appear in the urine. In some other cases the patient develops severe pain while urination. This pain can be mild to severe. This condition is known by the name of Dysuria. Other symptoms related to bladder cancer include frequent tendency to pass urine during night and day. People suffering from bladder cancer may face an intense physical sensation to empty the bladder, whether they urinate or not when attempting to do so.