Bladder (Urinary Bladder) Cancer

As in the case of all other cancers, it is hard to give an exact reason for bladder cancer. However, it is proven that some factors increase the risk of developing bladder cancer.

In history, bladder cancer is known as “chimney sweeps’ disease”. Inhaling chemicals in the chimneys has increased the occurrence of the bladder cancer.

The most important factor causing bladder cancer is smoking cigarettes and other tobacco products. This includes hookah, which is frequently smoked in our country.

Also, various chemicals such as some chemical substances used in paint and chemical industries, some painkillers, and artificial sweeteners are blamed for causing bladder cancer.

Of course, people who do not smoke or are not exposed to any unfavorable substances may also develop bladder cancer. However, the risk is quite lower for these people compared to those who were exposed to the agents mentioned above.

In some types of bladder tumors, the irritating effects of chronic infections and bladder stones may play a role.

Although the reason is not known clearly, bladder cancer is more common in men.

Bladder cancers are seen in three female patients versus five male patients. That men smoke more or are exposed to chemicals may be the underlying reason for this difference. But, this is only an assumption. The reason of this difference is not clearly known.

The most common and important complaint of patients is blood in the urine. This complaint is observed in more than 90% of the patients. The most typical symptom of bladder cancer is intermittent and painless blood in the urine, containing clots.

Other possible complaints are burning during urination, need for urinating frequently, blood clots in the urine, and sometimes getting unable to urinate due to the accumulation of the clots in the bladder as a result of excessive bleeding.

In advanced and spread tumors, there may be complaints such as malaise, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting.

It is very important to listen to the patients’ complaints and evaluate them well.

During the physical examination of the patient, sometimes no symptom appears. In some patients, especially in cases where the tumor is on the anterior surface of the bladder and is large, the tumor may be palpable on the examination. Again, if the bladder is full of blood clots and the patient is unable to urinate, the tumor becomes palpable on the examination.

Some patients should be examined with both hands under anesthesia and the extent of the tumor in the bladder should be determined. While one hand examines the abdomen, the other tries to reach the tumor through the anus.
Apart from physical examination, laboratory or imaging methods are used for diagnosis.

In the urine analysis, blood is seen. Although seen less, some patients may not have visible bleeding. With the aim of both examining these patients and evaluating the colored urine, urine analysis is required.

The tumors can be seen in the ultrasonography. Imaging methods such as intravenous urography, computerized tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance (MR) can also be used as required.

However, the most significant diagnostic method is looking into the bladder with eyes. This procedure is called “cystoscopy”. With this procedure, we see whether there is a tumor in the bladder, and if there is, we evaluate its size, number, and relationship with the structure of the bladder wall.

All these reasons make cystoscopy the most important diagnostic method for bladder cancer.