Bladder Cancer: Types, Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

The bladder is a hollow and balloon-like organ that collects and stores urine which goes out through the urethra. Bladder cancer is a rapid and uncontrolled growth of cells on the walls of the bladder. Bladder cancer usually starts in the lining of the bladder and gradually spreads to the muscular lining of the bladder. The most common symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine. If not treated, it can spread to other vital organs in the body. Bladder cancer mostly affects men as compared to women.

Types of Bladder Cancer

There are three types of bladder cancer;

• Urothelial or Transitional Cell Carcinoma
  Transitional cell carcinoma affects the transitional cells in the inner layer of the bladder. Transitional cells are the cells that change shape without damaging when the tissue is stretched.
• Squamous Cell Carcinoma
  This type of cancer begins in the bladder when thin, flat squamous cells form after long-term infection or irritation in the bladder.
• Adenocarcinoma
  Adenocarcinoma begins due to glandular cells, the cells that make-up the mucus-secreting glands in the body. Glandular cells form in the body after a long-term bladder irritation and inflammation.

Causes

The exact cause of bladder cancer is not known. However, there are a lot of things that may lead to bladder cancer.

• Smoking: Smoking highly increases the chances of bladder cancer.
• Chemical exposure at work: A high number of people get bladder cancer due to chemical exposure at work.
• Chemotherapy: The chemotherapy drug cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) also increases the possibility of bladder cancer.
• Bladder infection Continuous bladder infection can lead to several types of bladder cancer.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms include:

• Abdominal Pain
• Blood in urine
• Bone pain
• Pain in urination
• Frequent urination
• Urinary urgency
• Urine leakage
• Weight loss

Treatment

The doctor may assess the stage, severity and overall health of the patient to start a suitable treatment.

Stage I

• A urologist conducts a surgery to remove the tumour from the bladder.
• Chemotherapy or immunotherapy are other treatment options that help treat bladder cancer.

Stage II and III

• Removal of the entire bladder through surgery;
• Removal of a part of the bladder through surgery; It also requires radiation and chemotherapy after surgery.
• The use of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or immunotherapy to shrink the tumour before surgery;

Bladder Cancer Treatment at Uro Clinic Care

The urologist at Uro Clinic Care is specially trained to treat bladder cancer. This expertise and specialization assure that the patients receive bladder cancer treatment that’s tailored to fit your specific needs and assures the best treatment possible. Also, the use of the newest technologies and techniques by our urologist improve the chances of positive outcomes.