The disease affects over five percent of all American men and is most common in white men over 55 years of age. There are many factors that may increase your risk, including smoking, drinking alcohol, being overweight, and working in manufacturing. Regardless of your risk factors, it’s important to seek medical attention as soon as possible to prevent the disease and its consequences.
The first step to treating your cancer is determining the stage of your disease. Treatment options for bladder cancer are dependent on the type of cancer and the symptoms you are experiencing. Stage IV tumors cannot be cured, but some people can be helped with chemotherapy. Treatment may be given either before or after surgery. Patients with stage II and III cancer may not receive chemotherapy before surgery. Some patients may not need chemotherapy after surgery, but they still may need to undergo it.
Another type of bladder cancer is squamous cell carcinoma. About one to two percent of all bladder cancers occur in this type of cancer. These cancers begin in the glandular cells that line the bladder. They can grow rapidly and even spread to nearby organs and lymph nodes. If the cancer spreads outside of the bladder, it is called muscle-invasive. Adenocarcinomas are typically difficult to treat. Treatments for muscle-invasive bladder cancer may involve the removal of the bladder or surgery.
While a person’s risk for bladder cancer may increase after a family history of the disease, these factors do not necessarily increase the risk. A medical professional can help you determine if any of your risk factors are present. In some cases, there is no known cause. However, if you have any of the risk factors, you should see a doctor for a thorough checkup. Your doctor can order tests to determine whether your cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body.
Another symptom of bladder cancer is increased frequency of urination. This symptom can also be mistaken for a urinary tract infection. Patients who experience this condition often experience increased frequency of urination, increased pain during urination, and difficulty urinating. These are just some of the symptoms that you should look out for. If you suspect that you may have bladder cancer, you should consult your doctor immediately. Loss of appetite is one of the signs that you should look for in your doctor. During this time, you may also feel weak and fatigued.
Other signs of bladder cancer include hematuria, which is the discharge of blood or urine. However, this symptom may also be a result of an infection or a kidney stone. Your doctor may recommend further tests like a CT scan, which looks at the urine under a microscope. The CT scan helps to assess the size and type of cancer cells present in the bladder. Your doctor may also suggest treatment options. The best treatment for bladder cancer is based on your specific situation.
