Urinary Bladder Cancer Treatment

Urinary Bladder Cancer Treatment

Bladder cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the bladder. Smoking can affect the risk of bladder cancer. Signs and symptoms of bladder cancer include blood in the urine and pain during urination. Tests that examine the urine and bladder are used to diagnose bladder cancer

This cancer typically affects older adults. It's usually diagnosed early, when it's still treatable. It's likely to recur, so follow-up tests are typically recommended. The most common symptom is blood in the urine. Treatments include surgery, biological therapy and chemotherapy.

Symptoms

Bladder cancer signs and symptoms may include:

• Blood in urine (hematuria), which may cause urine to appear bright red or cola colored, though sometimes the urine appears normal and blood is detected on a lab test
• Frequent urination
• Painful urination
• Back pain

Causes

Bladder cancer begins when cells in the bladder develop changes (mutations) in their DNA. A cell's DNA contains instructions that tell the cell what to do. The changes tell the cell to multiply rapidly and to go on living when healthy cells would die.

The abnormal cells form a tumor that can invade and destroy normal body tissue. In time, the abnormal cells can break away and spread (metastasize) through the body.

Types of bladder cancer

Different types of cells in your bladder can become cancerous. The type of bladder cell where cancer begins determines the type of bladder cancer. Doctors use this information to determine which treatments may work best for you.

• Urothelial carcinoma : Urothelial carcinoma, previously called transitional cell carcinoma, occurs in the cells that line the inside of the bladder. Urothelial cells expand when your bladder is full and contract when your bladder is empty. These same cells line the inside of the ureters and the urethra, and cancers can form in those places as well. Urothelial carcinoma is the most common type of bladder cancer in the United States.
• Squamous cell carcinoma : Squamous cell carcinoma is associated with chronic irritation of the bladder — for instance, from an infection or from long-term use of a urinary catheter. Squamous cell bladder cancer is rare in the United States. It's more common in parts of the world where a certain parasitic infection (schistosomiasis) is a common cause of bladder infections.
• Adenocarcinoma : Adenocarcinoma begins in cells that make up mucus-secreting glands in the bladder. Adenocarcinoma of the bladder is very rare.