TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – About 10,000 people diagnosed with cancer bladder every year and there are a number of symptoms. Bladder cancer occurs when a tumor develops in the lining of the bladder and in some cases spreads to the bladder muscle.
Cancer Research UK says cancer bladder is part of the urinary system, which filters waste products from the blood and makes urine. If bladder cancer spreads to other organs of the body, it is known as metastatic bladder cancer.
Many of the signs of bladder cancer can be seen in the urine but there are also a number of other signs that some people may experience. The NHS says the most common symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine, which is usually painless.
“If you see blood in your urine, even if it comes and goes, you should see a doctor so the cause can be investigated,” they wrote Express.
The medical name for blood in the urine is hematuria. You may see streaks of blood in the urine or the blood may turn the urine brown. Cancer Research UK says blood in the urine is the most common symptom of bladder cancer with about eight in 10 people with the disease having blood in the urine. However, blood in the urine can also be caused by kidney stones.
The NHS says less common symptoms of bladder cancer include the urge to urinate more frequently, a sudden urge to urinate, and a burning sensation when urinating. Apart from blood on urine and the urge to urinate, back pain on one side of the body can signal the problem.
The health agency notes that if bladder cancer is at an advanced stage and has spread, symptoms can include pelvic pain, bone pain, unexplained weight loss, and swelling of the legs. Cancer.Net have outlined some information from the American Society of Clinical Oncology regarding several other signs, one of which can occur on the back.
They added that sometimes when symptoms first appear, the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. This means the symptoms depend on where the cancer has spread. The organization says cancer that has spread to the lungs can cause coughing or shortness of breath, spread to the liver can cause stomach pain or jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes), and spread to the bones can cause bone pain or fractures. In addition to back or pelvic pain, unexplained loss of appetite and weight loss can also be an indication of the cancer.
Cancer Research UK says bladder cancer usually takes a long time to develop so it’s most common in older people. Nearly 60 percent of new cases occur in people aged 75 years and over and rarely in those under 40 years.
There are also more male patients than women. This may simply be because more men than women have smoked or been exposed to chemicals at work in recent decades. The NHS says most bladder cancer cases appear to be caused by exposure to harmful substances, which cause abnormal changes in bladder cells over the years.
Tobacco smoke is a common cause and it is estimated that more than one in three cases of bladder cancer are caused by smoking. Exposure to certain industrial chemicals is the second biggest risk factor. Studies have estimated this can cause about 25 percent of cases.
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