What Is Bladder Cancer? Bladder Cancer Causes and Symptoms

What Is Bladder Cancer?

Bladder cancer is one of the most common types of cancer and affects about 68,000 adults per year in the United States. Bladder cancer occurs more frequently in men than in women and generally affects older adults, although it can occur at any age.

Bladder cancer begins most frequently in cells (urothelial cells) that line the inside of the bladder, the muscular and hollow organ that stores urine and is located in the lower abdomen. Although it occurs more frequently in the bladder, this same type of cancer can occur in other parts of the urinary tract drainage system.

About 7 out of 10 cases of bladder cancer diagnosed begin at an early stage when bladder cancer is highly treatable. However, even early bladder tumors can come back. For this reason, people with bladder cancer generally need to undergo follow-up tests for years after treatment, to detect bladder cancer that reappears or progresses to a higher stage.

Symptom:

Some signs and symptoms of bladder cancer can be:

Blood in the urine (hematuria)
Painful urination
Pelvic pain

If you have hematuria, the urine may look deep red or brown. Sometimes the urine does not look different, but blood can be detected by a microscopic examination of the urine.

People with bladder cancer may also have:

Back pain
Need to urinate often

However, these symptoms often occur due to causes other than bladder cancer.

Causes:

Bladder cancer appears when bladder cells begin to multiply abnormally. Instead of growing and dividing in an organized manner, these cells have mutations that cause them to multiply uncontrollably and not die. These abnormal cells form a tumor.

The causes of bladder cancer include:

Smoking and other tobacco consumption
Exposure to chemicals, especially having a job that requires exposure to them
Radiation exposure in the past
Chronic irritation of the bladder lining
Parasitic infections, particularly, in people originating from certain areas outside the United States or who traveled to those places

The causes of bladder cancer are not always clear, and some people who suffer from it have no obvious risk factors.

Types of Bladder Cancer:

There are different types of cells in the bladder that can become cancerous. The type of bladder cell in which cancer begins determines the type of bladder cancer. The type of bladder cancer determines which treatments may be best for you.

Types of bladder cancer include:

Urothelial carcinoma, formerly called "transitional cell carcinoma," occurs in the cells that line the inside of the bladder. Urothelial cells expand when the bladder is full and contract when emptied. These same cells line the inside of the ureters and urethra, and in those places, tumors can also form. Urothelial carcinoma is the most common type of bladder cancer in the United States.
Squamous cell carcinoma is related to chronic bladder irritation, for example, due to infection or prolonged use of a urinary catheter. Epidermoid cell bladder cancer is rare in the United States. It is more common in places in the world where a common cause of bladder infections is a certain infection by parasites (schistosomiasis).
Adenocarcinoma begins in the cells that make up the secretory glands of mucus in the bladder. Bladder adenocarcinoma is rare in the United States.

Some types of bladder cancer involve more than one type of cell.

Risk Factors:

Factors that may increase the risk of bladder cancer include:

Smoke. Smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes can increase the risk of bladder cancer, as it causes harmful chemicals to accumulate in the urine. When you smoke, your body processes the chemicals in the smoke and excretes some of them in your urine. These harmful chemicals can damage the lining of your bladder, which can increase the risk of cancer.
Advanced age. The risk of bladder cancer increases with age. Bladder cancer can appear at any age, but it is rare in people under 40.
Be white. White people are at greater risk of bladder cancer than people of other races.
Being of the male sex. Men are more likely to have bladder cancer than women.
Exposure to certain chemicals. The kidneys have a fundamental role in filtering harmful chemicals from the bloodstream and transferring them to the bladder. For this reason, it is believed that being close to certain chemicals may increase the risk of bladder cancer. Arsenic and the chemicals used in the manufacture of dyes, rubbers, leather, textile products, and paints are some of the chemicals related to the risk of bladder cancer.
Previous oncological treatments. Treatment with cyclophosphamide, an anticancer drug, increases the risk of bladder cancer. People who have received radiation treatments aimed at the pelvis due to previous cancer have an increased risk of bladder cancer.
Chronic inflammation of the bladder. Chronic or repeated urinary infections or cystitis (cystitis), such as those that may occur with prolonged use of a urinary catheter, may increase the risk of developing bladder squamous cell carcinoma. In some regions of the world, squamous cell carcinoma is associated with chronic inflammation of the bladder caused by a parasitic infection known as "schistosomiasis."
Personal or family history of cancer. If you have had bladder cancer, you are more likely to get it again. If one or more of your first-degree relatives (one of your parents, a brother or a child) have a history of bladder cancer, you may have a higher risk of contracting this disease, although it is rare for bladder cancer to run in families. Having a family history of hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer, also called "Lynch syndrome," may increase the risk of having cancer in the urinary tract, as well as in the colon, uterus, ovaries, and other organs.

Prevention:

Although there is no guaranteed way to prevent bladder cancer, you can take steps to help reduce the risk. For example:

Do not smoke. No smoking means that the chemicals in the smoke that cause cancer cannot accumulate in the bladder. If you don't smoke, don't start doing it. If you smoke, talk to your doctor about a plan that will help you quit smoking. Support groups, medications, and other methods can help you quit smoking.
Be careful with chemicals. If you work with chemicals, follow all safety instructions to avoid exposure.
Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables. Choose a diet rich in a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. The antioxidants present in fruits and vegetables can help reduce the risk of cancer.