May is Bladder Cancer Awareness Month, and in recognition of that, I’m here today to share some facts about bladder cancer, including risk factors, symptoms, and treatment options.
Understanding the Bladder
The bladder is a balloon-shaped, hollow organ in the bottom part of the abdomen. Its muscle walls allow it to get bigger or smaller.
The bladder stores and releases urine, helping to rid the body of toxins and waste.
Urine comes into the bladder from the kidneys through tubes called ureters. The bladder is emptied through a different tube called the urethra.
Bladder cancer develops when cells in the bladder start growing abnormally and uncontrollably. Over time, these abnormal cells group together to form a tumor.
Types of Bladder Cancer
Cancer of the bladder can develop in the cells in the lining of the bladder and, in more advanced cases, grow into the muscle wall of the bladder.
The different types of bladder cancer include:
- transitional cell carcinoma (also called urothelial carcinoma). This is the most common type of bladder cancer – 90% of cases are cancer that begins in the urothelial cells
- squamous cell carcinoma, which develops in the bladder as a result of long-term infection or irritation.
- adenocarcinoma starts from glandular cells that release mucus
- small cell carcinoma starts in the neuroendocrine cells
- sarcoma starts in the muscle cells of the bladder
If cancer hasn’t grown beyond the lining, it’s called superficial bladder cancer or non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.
If cancer cells have spread through the lining and into the muscle wall or beyond into nearby organs, this is called invasive cancer of the bladder.
Statistics/Fast Facts About Bladder Cancer
The American Cancer Society estimates that in the United States this year, there will be 83,190 new cases of bladder cancer.
This journal article states that in the U.S., 6% of all new cases of cancer in men will be this type of cancer.
This makes bladder cancer the 4th most common cancer in men in America.
Worldwide, bladder cancer is the 6th most common cancer in men and the 17th most common cancer in women.
1 in 89 women will be diagnosed with bladder cancer in their lifetime, compared to 1 in 28 men.
While men are three times more likely to develop bladder cancer, biological females are often diagnosed at a more advanced stage of the disease and have worse survival rates. This may be because their symptoms can be mistaken for other conditions, like urinary tract infections.
About 90% of bladder cancer patients are over age 55.
The average age at diagnosis is 73.
Whites are twice as likely as Blacks, Hispanics, and Asian/Pacific Islanders to develop bladder cancer.
Bladder cancer survivors are at higher risk of developing second cancers.
Risk Factors for Bladder Cancer
Things that can put people at an increased risk of bladder cancer include:
- Smoking: Smoking causes about 50% of all bladder cancer cases. Smokers are 4 to 7 times more likely to get bladder cancer compared to nonsmokers.
- Older Age: Around 90% of cases are diagnosed in people older than 55.
- Gender: Bladder cancer is more common in men.
- Chemical exposure: often through the workplace in industries like manufacturing, painting, and textiles
- Chronic bladder infections or irritations, including long-term use of urinary catheters
- Genetic mutations
- Personal or family history of cancer
- Previous treatment with chemotherapy drugs like cyclophosphamide or receiving radiation in the pelvic area
- Drinking water with high levels of arsenic
- Infection from the parasitic worm schistosoma haematobium
- Not drinking enough fluids. People who drink more water are less likely to get bladder cancer.
Signs & Symptoms of Bladder Cancer
The most common symptoms of bladder cancer are:
- blood in the urine
- urinating more often
- feeling an urgency to urinate, even when the bladder isn’t full
- having pain or a burning sensation during urination
- a weak urine flow
Other signs of bladder cancer that don’t involve the urinary system can include:
- fatigue
- unexplained weight loss
- loss of appetite
- pain in the lower back or pelvic area
- swelling in the feet
How Bladder Cancer is Diagnosed
There currently isn’t an early screening test for bladder cancer.
If you have symptoms, especially if you are at a higher risk, you’ll likely first see a urologist. This is a doctor who specializes in the treatment of diseases and conditions of the urinary tract.
Diagnostic tests can include:
- Urine tests: A urinalysis test looks for blood, a urine culture looks for signs of infection, a urine cytology looks for cancer cells, and urine tumor marker tests look for DNA molecules linked to different types of cancer.
- Cystoscopy is when a thin tube called a cystoscope that has a lens and a light is inserted into the bladder through the urethra to take a tissue sample from the bladder
- Imaging tests like a CT or MRI scan can help doctors see if cancer has spread to lymph nodes or other tissue or organs
If a cystoscopy shows there’s something in the bladder that looks abnormal, a TURBT, or transurethral resection of bladder tumor may be done.
This is a surgical procedure that gives a better look at the inside of the bladder to either rule out or confirm cancer.
If cancer is found, the TURBT procedure can help determine if it’s one of the non-invasive bladder cancers or if it is a muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
In some cases of early-stage bladder cancer, part or all of the tumor can be removed during the TURBT.
Treatment Options for Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer treatment involves a group of doctors working together. This includes urologists, pathologists, oncologists and possible radiation oncologists.
In addition to a TURBT, other treatments for bladder cancer can include:
- chemotherapy
- immunotherapy
- radiation therapy
- intravesical therapy
Intravesical therapy is when a treatment medicine is injected directly into the bladder. BCG, or Bacillus Calmette-Guerin, is a type of immunotherapy that I’m most familiar with, as it’s the treatment my grandfather had for his early-stage bladder cancer.
This activates your own immune system to attack bladder cancer cells. This can be a one-time treatment or can be given regularly over time.
Conclusion
In honor of bladder cancer awareness month in May, I hope you’ve enjoyed learning these facts about bladder cancer.
I hope they help educate people and encourage them to see a doctor if they’re experiencing any warning signs.
Did I miss any key facts that you know of? Share them in the comments below!
Additional References:
https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/bladder-cancer/statistics
https://www.cancercenter.com/cancer-types/bladder-cancer
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/bladder-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html
https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/bladder-cancer/types-treatment
