BLADDER CANCER

No one knows the exact causes of bladder cancer. However, it is clear that this disease is not contagious. No one can "catch" any type of cancer from another person.

What is Bladder Cancer?

Bladder cancer is a disease characterized by the growth of malignant cells within the urinary bladder, the organ responsible for storing urine prior to elimination. Bladder cancer can also be associated with cancers of the kidneys, ureters, or urethra.

Risks associated with Bladder Cancer.

People who get bladder cancer are more likely than other people to have certain risk factors.

Still, most people with known risk factors do not get bladder cancer, and many who do get this disease have none of these factors. Doctors can seldom explain why one person gets this cancer and another does not.

Studies have found the following risk factors for bladder cancer include the following:

  • Over 40 years of age
  • Tobacco use
  • Occupation that increases exposure to carcinogens.
  • Parasite infections
  • Treatment with cyclophosphamide or arsenic
  • Being of Caucasian decent.
  • Being a man. Men are two to three times more likely than women to get bladder cancer.
  • Family history of bladder cancer
  • Personal history of bladder cancer

What are the Symptoms of Bladder Cancer?

  • Blood in the urine (making the urine slightly rusty to deep red)
  • Pain during urination
  • Frequent urination, or feeling the need to urinate without results

How is Bladder Cancer Diagnosed?

If a patient has symptoms that suggest bladder cancer, the doctor may check general signs of health and may order lab tests. The person may have one or more procedures including physical exam, urine tests, intravenous pyelogram, cystoscopy, and/or biopsy.

If bladder cancer is diagnosed, the doctor needs to know the stage, or extent, of the disease to plan the best treatment. Staging is a careful attempt to find out whether the cancer has invaded the bladder wall, whether the disease has spread, and if so, to what parts of the body.

What is the Treatment for Bladder Cancer?

The doctor may refer patients to doctors who specialize in treating cancer, or patients may ask for a referral. Treatment generally begins within a few weeks after the diagnosis. There will be time for patients to talk with the doctor about treatment choices, get a second opinion, and learn more about bladder cancer.

Facts about Bladder Cancer.

  • There are about 55,000 new bladder cancer cases yearly, with approximately 9,000 deaths per year in the US. It is the fourth most common cancer among men, while it is the ninth most common cancer among women.

  • Although bladder cancer can occur at any age, it is much more common in patients over 50 years old.

  • Approximately 75% of all people diagnosed with bladder cancer are men between the ages of 45 and 80 years.

  • Transitional Cell Carcinoma affects the bladder lining, and is the most common form of bladder cancer.

  • If detected and treated early enough, bladder cancer is almost always curable with a 5-year survival rate of more than 90%. If the disease is in an advanced stage it is much more difficult to treat.

  • Caucasians are diagnosed with bladder cancer twice as often as African Americans and Hispanics. While the lowest rates are among Asians.

  • People who work around carcinogens have an increased chance of getting bladder cancer, this includes workers in the rubber, chemical, leather industries, machinists, metal workers, printers, painters, textile workers, truck driversas well as hairdressers.
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