Unmasking the Truth about Bladder Cancer
What is Bladder cancer?
The bladder is an arched, lower abdominal organ that stores urine. Bladder cancer develops when abnormal cells grow destructively in the bladder lining. These cancerous cells may start to affect the normal function of the bladder.
- Bladder cancer may spread to adjoining organs.
- Bladder cancer is a leading cause of common cancer in men, three times more prevalent in men than women.
- This type of cancer arises in the bladder.
- We know the urinary bladder, a body part that holds and releases urine.
- We can locate the bladder in the centre of the lower abdomen.
- The bladder is a tiny organ in the lower part of the stomach that stores urine.
- If someone develops bladder cancer, abnormal cells grow in the bladder.
- Experts call it "superficial bladder cancer."
- Rarely do cancer cells move from the bladder to its muscular wall, lymph nodes, and other organs.
- Invasive bladder cancers are the name for these types of malignancies.
More than 90% of bladder tumours start in the cells and the inner core membrane of the bladder wall. Surgery, chemotherapy, intravenous chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation therapy are all options for treating bladder cancer. Bladder cancer comes in a variety of forms. Transitional cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma are cancer forms called after the bladder wall where the disorder develops.
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| Enjoying happy moments after bladder cancer treatment |
Is bladder cancer divided into types?
- Bladder cancers (more than 90%) start in the transitional cells that line the bladder wall's deepest lining. Cancers that begin in these bladder-lining cells can spread to the deeper layers of the bladder (called the lamina propria), the thick muscular layer of the bladder, or the fatty tissues of the bladder through the urinary bladder layer.
- Squamous cells are thin, flat cells that line the urethra and can develop in the bladder during extended periods of bladder inflammation or irritation. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common type of bladder cancer, accounting for around 5% of all cases.
- Adenocarcinoma is a bladder cancer that starts in the glandular (secretory) cell's bladder lining. Adenocarcinomas are rare, accounting for 1% to 2% of all bladder malignancies.
When you have cancer of the bladder, what symptoms do you experience?
We can find blood in the urine of many people with bladder cancer, but they do not experience pain when peeing. It's possible to detect bladder cancer at an advanced stage if you suffer from many symptoms, such as fatigue, weight loss, and bone discomfort. Pay special attention to the following signs and symptoms:
- Hematuria
- Urinating those hurt
- Urination is prevalent.
- Urination is required immediately.
- Urinary incontinence
- Pain in the lower abdomen
- Lower back discomfort
What is the method of diagnosing bladder cancer?
Your oncologist may diagnose bladder cancer using one or more of the following methods:
- A urinalysis
- An internal examination, which involves your oncologist inserting gloved fingers into your vagina or rectum to feel for lumps that may indicate a cancerous growth,
- Your oncologist will place a small tube with a tiny camera into your urethra to view your bladder during a cystoscopy.
- In a biopsy, your oncologist inserts a small tool into your urethra and removes a microscopic tissue sample from your bladder to check for cancer.
- A CT scan to view the bladder
- An intravenous pyelogram (IVP)
- X-rays
What are the stages of bladder cancer?
Bladder cancer can be non-invasive or invasive (penetrating the bladder wall and possibly spreading to nearby organs or lymph nodes). The phases vary from limited to the bladder's interior lining to the most invasive. Oncologists find cancer in the bladder's inner lining or connective tissues.
Stages second to four denote invasive cancer:
- Stage two: An expert can detect cancer spread to the muscle wall.
- Stage three: Cancer has spread to the fatty tissue outside the bladder muscle.
- Stage four: Cancer has metastasized from the bladder to the lymph nodes, organs, or bones.
TNM (tumour, node involvement, and metastases) would be a more advanced and preferred staging approach. Your doctor may insert a telescope into the bladder and remove the tumour by scraping it from the bladder wall using a resectoscope. This surgical procedure is diagnostic and therapeutic.
What are the bladder cancer treatment alternatives?
Patients with bladder cancer can receive one of four types of treatment. These are some examples:
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy
- Intravenous chemotherapy or immunotherapy for superficial cancers
- Radiation treatment
- Experts may use combinations of these treatments.
How do oncologists treat bladder cancer?
Your oncologist will work with you to decide the best course of therapy depending on the calibre and stage of your bladder cancer, symptoms, and general health.
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| The happy couple after Bladder cancer treatment |
What are the best treatments for stage 0 and stage 1?
Your doctor may recommend surgery to remove the tumour from the bladder. Your oncologist may prefer chemotherapy or immunotherapy. It involves taking a medication that causes your immune system to attack the cancer cells. This therapy works for treating stage 0 and stage 1 bladder malignancies.
What is the treatment alternative for stage 2 and stage 3?
Treatment for stage 2 and stage 3 bladder cancer may include:
- Your doctor may recommend chemotherapy in addition to a portion of the bladder removal.
- Your doctor may remove the whole bladder, known as a radical cystectomy, followed by surgery to create a new way for urine to exit the body.
- Experts can use chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or immunotherapy to shrink the tumour before surgery. This step is required when surgery is not an option to kill remaining cancer cells after surgery or prevent cancer from recurring.
What is the treatment option for stage 4 bladder cancer?
Treatment for stage 4 bladder cancer may include:
- Chemotherapy without surgery relieves symptoms and extends life.
- Your doctor may use radiation cystectomy and lymph node removal, followed by surgery, to create a new way for urine to exit the body.
- According to specialists, after surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy are the best to eradicate remaining cancer cells, reduce symptoms, and enhance life excitement.
- Your doctor may conduct clinical trials on drugs.
Are you at the harm of developing bladder cancer?
Heavy smoking increases your risk of bladder cancer. Habitual smoking causes half of all bladder cancers in men and women. If you have any of the following risk factors, you are more likely to develop urinary bladder cancer:
- Significant exposure to cancer-causing chemicals
- Acute and chronic bladder infections
- Dependence on low fluid consumption.
- Being male
- Most bladder cancers occur in people over the age of 5,
- Eating a high-fat diet
- Family history of bladder cancer.
- The use of cyclophosphamide in the previous treatment
- Use of radiation therapy for pelvic cancer
Bladder Cancer is more frequent in women.
No, bladder cancer is more common in men than in women. Men have a higher incidence rate of bladder cancer compared to women. However, it is important to note that women can still develop bladder cancer, and it is essential for both genders to be aware of the risk factors, symptoms, and early detection methods associated with this disease.