What are the symptoms of bladder cancer?
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Symptoms of Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer is a significant health concern, with various symptoms that can often be mistaken for other less severe conditions. Understanding these symptoms is crucial for early diagnosis and effective treatment.
Visible Hematuria: The Most Common Symptom
Visible hematuria, or blood in the urine, is the most common and significant symptom of bladder cancer. It is often painless and can be seen in over 80% of patients diagnosed with the disease1 2 6. The presence of visible hematuria has a high positive predictive value (PPV) for bladder cancer, especially in older adults1 2.
Irritative Urinary Symptoms
Patients with bladder cancer may also experience irritative urinary symptoms such as dysuria (painful urination), frequent urination, and urgency (the sudden, strong need to urinate)2 3 6. These symptoms are less specific and can be associated with various other conditions, including urinary tract infections and prostatitis, which can delay the diagnosis of bladder cancer5.
Other Symptoms
Other symptoms that may be associated with bladder cancer include:
- Lower back pain: This can occur on one side of the body and is often related to the spread of the disease3 4.
- Abdominal pain: Some patients report pain in the abdominal region2.
- Urinary tract infections: Recurrent infections can be a sign of bladder cancer2.
- Raised white blood cell count and inflammatory markers: These can indicate an underlying issue, including cancer2.
Less Common Symptoms
In some cases, bladder cancer can present with less common symptoms such as:
- Blood clots in the urine: This can be a more severe form of hematuria4.
- Constipation: Although not a direct symptom, it has been associated with bladder cancer2.
- Raised creatinine levels: This can indicate impaired kidney function, which may be related to bladder cancer2.
Symptoms of Metastatic Bladder Cancer
When bladder cancer metastasizes, it can cause additional symptoms depending on the location of the metastasis. For instance, pulmonary manifestations can include pleural effusion, pulmonary embolism, and other lung-related issues5.
Conclusion
Bladder cancer presents with a variety of symptoms, the most common being visible hematuria. Other symptoms include irritative urinary symptoms, lower back pain, and abdominal pain. Early recognition of these symptoms is essential for prompt diagnosis and treatment. If you experience any of these symptoms, especially visible hematuria, it is important to seek medical evaluation to rule out bladder cancer or other serious conditions.
Sources and full results
Most relevant research papers on this topic
The association between symptoms and bladder or renal tract cancer in primary care: a systematic review.
Visible haematuria is the only high-risk symptom of bladder/renal cancer in primary care, warranting investigation, but not all patients experience haematuria, so restricting investigation to those with haematuria may delay diagnosis in some patients.
Systematic ReviewClinical features of bladder cancer in primary care.
Visible haematuria is the most common and powerful predictor of bladder cancer in primary care, with other symptoms having low predictive values.
Observational Study
Rigorous Journal
Highly CitedBladder cancer.
Bladder cancer may cause symptoms like blood in the urine, pain during urination, frequent urination, and lower back pain, but these symptoms may be caused by other conditions.
Carcinoma of bladder: A rare case report
A rare case report highlights the importance of early diagnosis and treatment for bladder cancer, as it can save lives and improve quality of life.
Case ReportPulmonary manifestations of urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.
Urothelial carcinoma of the bladder can cause various pulmonary manifestations, which require a high index of suspicion for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Systematic ReviewRigorous JournalBladder cancer: ESMO Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up.
The ESMO Practice Guidelines for bladder cancer diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up aim to improve the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of bladder cancer in Europe.
Highly CitedBladder cancer
Bladder cancer treatment varies depending on the type of tumor, with bladder preservation, combination chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and molecular biology advances being key to improving outcomes.
Rigorous JournalHighly CitedSymptoms and diagnostic delays in bladder cancer with high risk of recurrence: results from a prospective FinnBladder 9 trial
Current and past smokers experience shorter patient-related delays in bladder cancer diagnosis, with macroscopic hematuria as the initial symptom.
RCTBladder Cancer: Diagnosis and Treatment.
Bladder cancer is diagnosed and treated with transurethral resection, with non-muscle-invasive disease treated with intravesical bacille Calmette-Guérin or intravesical chemotherapy, and muscle-invasive disease with radical cystectomy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Highly CitedBladder cancer
Early diagnosis and individualized treatment are crucial for successful outcomes in bladder cancer.
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