The bladder is a hollow muscular organ located in the lower abdomen. The urine produced by the kidneys is collected and stored here. When the cells that line the inside of the bladder become abnormal and grow out of control, it is called bladder cancer. Bladder cancer affects more men than women and usually occurs in older people, though, it could occur at any age.
Types of bladder cancer
There are different types of cells in the
bladder. Depending on which type of bladder cell gets cancerous determines the type of cancer and the treatment required to treat that type of cancer.
- Urothelial carcinoma: This type of cancer occurs when the cells that line the inside of the bladder get cancerous. These cells also line the inside of the ureters and the urethra and tumors can form there as well. This is a very common kind of bladder cancer.
- Squamous cell carcinoma: This cancer is associated with chronic irritation or inflammation of the bladder over a period of many months or years.
- Adenocarcinoma: This type of cancer begins in the cells that make up mucus secreting glands in the bladder.
Sometimes the bladder cancer may include more than one type of cells.
Symptoms
The most common signs and symptoms of bladder cancer is blood in the urine, urinating more often than usual, change in the colour of the urine, burning sensation while urinating, not able to urinate even when the bladder is full, lower backache, loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, pain in the bones and swollen feet.
Causes
Bladder cancer occurs when the cells in the bladder become abnormal and grow abnormally. The exact cause of bladder cancer is not known but there are certain factors that increase the chances of a person getting this disease.
Some of these factors are:
- Smoking
- Working in an environment of harmful chemicals
- Certain medications
- Chronic bladder inflammation
- Genetic makeup and family history
- Prior chemo or radiation therapy
Treatment
Like most cancers and diseases, for bladder cancer, the likeliness of curing is higher if diagnosed early and treated promptly. Treatment options usually depend on the type of bladder cancer, the stage, the grade, and also the age and overall health condition of the patient.
Some of the common bladder cancer treatments include:
- Chemotherapy in the bladder: To treat tumors that are confined to the lining of the bladder
- Reconstruction: To create a new way for urine to travel out of the body, after the removal of the bladder
- Chemotherapy for the whole body
- Radiation therapy
- Immunotherapy
- Surgery: To remove the cancerous tissue
- Others
A combination of the above treatments may be used depending on the advancement and type of cancer.
The chances for developing bladder cancer often can reduce by stopping smoking, drinking lots of water, eating lots of fruits and vegetables and not working in an environment with high exposure to harmful chemicals.
Disclaimer: The information in no way constitutes, or should be construed as medical advice. Nor is the above article an endorsement of any research findings discussed in the article an endorsement for any of the source publications.
Sources-
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bladder-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20356104
- https://www.webmd.com/cancer/bladder-cancer/default.htm
- https://www.healthline.com/health/bladder-cancer
Any cancer that affects the colon and the rectum is called colorectal cancer.
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