Bladder Cancer Symptoms

Introduction

Bladder cancer is a quite common cancer that begins in the bladder, which is the organ where all your urine will be stored until you release it in the bathroom. Ranging from frequent tendency or urgency for urination to bloody urine, there are a lot of signs that can help you diagnose bladder cancer. These symptoms often help expose the disease in its early stage, during which the body responds better to the treatments, leading to better treatment outcomes.

Cancer, as we all know, can be better treated when diagnosed at the earliest. The same goes with bladder cancer also. What could lead to such an early diagnosis? Have you ever thought of that? If not, don’t worry, let's explore something interesting. The body tries to communicate with us whenever something is wrong in our body, be it a fatal or non-serious illness. Making us aware that something is running out of order in our body and needs to be treated. These hints that the body gives off are nothing but what we call symptoms. All we have to do is pay attention to the hints the body gives off. That is why understanding the symptoms of bladder cancer is important.

Early Warning Signs of Bladder Cancer

Are you troubled by persistent urinary issues that are not going away? Don't ignore them. Those could be the early signs your body is trying to warn you. Bladder cancer does not always express loud and clear symptoms; sometimes, there will be very subtle changes that you feel insignificant and might ignore. These subtle changes could be the early symptoms of bladder cancer that you are not supposed to ignore because they can cost your life.

So let's have a look into those warning signs:

1. Hematuria (Blood in Urine) and Painful Urination:

Blood in the urine is critical and the first warning sign your body shows when you have bladder cancer. Understanding how hematuria and bladder cancer are connected can help you catch bladder cancer at the earliest. Hematuria does not necessarily mean that your urine should look bloody red; it appears mostly as pink or orange rather than a deep red color. You don't need to have hematuria every day to consider the possibility of bladder cancer. You might be having it on and off only. Another warning sign of bladder cancer is painful urination. However, sometimes hematuria alone may be the warning sign. Therefore, get immediate medical advice if you have hematuria that is not going away occasionally.

2. Increased Urgency and Frequent Urination:

You may find it difficult to hold urine; there will be a noticeable increase in the urgency for urination. Normally, when our body signals us that it's time to pee, we can still hold it for some more time. But here, you will get an urgent tendency to get your urine out of your bladder, and sometimes, you may even find it difficult to keep hold of it till you reach the bathroom, losing control midway. Similarly, there will be an unexplainable increase in your urination frequency. As a result, you will have to get to the bathroom more frequently. There are several causes for frequent urination, and bladder cancer is one such critical possibility that you should never overlook.

These signs and symptoms do not always indicate that you have bladder cancer. Urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and prostate infections may also bring up similar symptoms. Therefore, if you develop any such symptoms, call your doctor. They will help you rule out the possibility of bladder cancer and prescribe you the right treatment. Also, you might have observed the urgency of passing urine when we drink excess water or juice, so we should not confuse this with this.

Common Symptoms of Bladder Cancer

The common symptoms of bladder cancer are not just limited to changes in your bathroom habits. Apart from the urinary symptoms, bladder cancer can also exhibit symptoms in other parts that you think have no connection with your bladder. Want to know other common signs of bladder cancer? Let’s dig in:

1. Pelvic Discomfort and Back Pain:

You may have discomfort or pain in unexpected places like the pelvic region or abdomen. You may often ignore this sign, considering it is normal back pain from muscle strain or something that goes away in a few days. If you have, don't brush through it; instead, get it evaluated by a doctor.

2. Unexplained Weight Loss and Fatigue:

Everyone might have experienced low-energy days. But wait, that's not what we are discussing. Pay attention if you feel drained and fatigued every day, persistently exhausted without any explanation. Your body might struggle to tackle something more serious to keep you going. Fatigue in bladder cancer will often be overlooked, and you might think of aging or other factors. You may also lose weight for no reason.

3. Other Symptoms to Watch For:

So far, we have discussed some of the significant symptoms of bladder cancer; however, there are many other signs that you should watch for.

Let me guide you through those signs:

• Inability or difficulty in urinating despite feeling the need.

• Bone pains.

• Swollen feet.

• Loss of appetite.

The basic symptoms of bladder cancer in men and women are almost the same. However, certain signs like weak urine stream are more evident in males, while pelvic pain is evident in females.

Bladder Cancer Versus Other Urinary Tract Conditions

Are you confused about whether it is bladder cancer or urinary tract infection? Don't worry you are at the right place; let’s sort it out together. Bladder cancer and urinary tract infections are two completely different disease entities. However, they do share specific overlapping symptoms. Most urinary symptoms, like increased urine frequency, hematuria, increased urgency, and painful urination, are seen in both conditions. These overlapping symptoms are actually one of the major reasons for delaying the bladder cancer diagnosis. So if you notice blood in urine, bladder cancer, and other urinary tract infection possibilities have to be assessed.

Let me help you with some key points that can guide you in distinguishing bladder cancer and urinary tract infections. Strong-smelling urine is often a critical sign of urinary tract infections, while you generally don't have smelly urine with bladder cancer. Urinary tract infections may also present with fever, which is not present with bladder cancer. However, don’t rely only upon these for diagnosis; visit your doctor if you find it fishy.

Whenever we develop changes in our bathroom habits, we often blame them on urinary tract infections even before getting them medically consulted and evaluated. Isn't it? Then we take some antibiotics, hoping that it will clear everything up. But that’s not the way it should be done. Consult a doctor; they will figure out the cause by running some tests and rule out the possibility of serious illness.

The etiology behind bladder cancer and urinary tract infections are different; one is a cancer, and the other one is just an infection. So, their treatment strategies are also completely different. Only if your condition is properly diagnosed will you receive the right treatment. Antibiotics can deal with urinary tract infections, while bladder cancer requires anticancer treatments like surgery, immunotherapy, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy according to the stage and type. Having symptoms?? Just give it a check; that’s it.

How Do Bladder Cancer Symptoms Shift as the Cancer Advances?

Do you know that bladder cancer symptoms vary with the cancer progression? Wondering why? In the early stage, the cancer mass will be small and remain more confined so that the symptoms will be mild. As the stage advances, the cancer mass grows, bringing more complex symptoms. Bladder cancer, like any other cancer, may progress and spread to other organ systems in the absence of proper treatment at the very right time. So, based on which organ it is secondarily invaded, more symptoms will start appearing. Black pain in bladder cancer often indicates the cancer spread.

Common symptoms of early-stage bladder cancer are mostly limited to the urinary symptoms. At the same time, in invasive bladder cancer, you can find non-bladder symptoms like abdominal pain, pelvic pain, and back pain apart from the urinary symptoms. Pelvic pain in bladder cancerdevelops earlier in females than in males, even before the cancer becomes invasive. Hematuria will be more intense in invasive bladder cancer. More intense symptoms like loss of weight, fatigue, loss of appetite, bone pain, and leg swelling can be seen with metastatic bladder cancer. Bone pain is an indication that your bladder cancer has reached into your bone cells. Leg swelling is a result of lymph node involvement.

Conclusion:

Bladder cancer symptoms may not be a topic that is discussed all the time, but keeping yourself updated on the early red flags that could be associated with bladder cancer can sometimes make all the difference. Hematuria, frequent urination, urgency in urination, difficulty passing urine despite the urge, and painful urination are some common signs of bladder cancer that you must pay attention to. Bladder cancer, when diagnosed at an early stage, can be effectively treated even without much extensive cancer treatment process. So, understanding these subtle clues through which the body is trying to communicate with you could help you catch hold of it before it takes hold of your body beyond the possibility of a successful recovery.

Note from iCliniq

Running to doctors for medical help all the time when you encounter something that does not even look significant might seem crazy. But sometimes, that will be your best and most righteous decision ever. Listen to your body. Understand what the body is saying, and then you will take charge of it. Knowing the bladder cancer symptoms will keep you alert whenever such signs pop up. So, what are you waiting for if your body warns you of red flags like hematuria? Knock on your doctor's door for help.

iCliniq ensures that patients like you can avail of medical care quickly and easily. We have a panel of health experts with whom you can get in touch, clear off your health concerns, and help you make the best health decision. When it comes to diseases like bladder cancer, diagnosing it at the very right time saves your life.