Bladder cancer: A growing concern amongst healthcare professionals

Cancer is definitely one of the major health concerns in today’s time, owing to the lack of definitive treatments, unknown causes, late diagnosis, terminal illness, and so on. Not only is it difficult to assess who is at risk and who isn't but also treating the health issue can become complicated for many patients. Therefore, it is truly a concern for professionals in the medicine industry, especially when it comes to rare type cancers.

Bladder cancer is one such type which is becoming a growing concern for healthcare professionals. Not only has the disease come to light recently but also it’s hard to understand the symptoms and decide the treatment methods. This is why having awareness at the early stage is so crucial and will definitely prove to be helpful. In this following article, we will explain the major facts you must know about bladder cancer.

What is the urinary bladder?

The urinary bladder is a hollow, pear-shaped organ located at the lower abdomen. Its main function is to hold the formed urine as long as the brain doesn’t send the neural signal for the organ to pass through. The bladder is made of multiple layers of tissues owing to the fact that it needs to contract and relax constantly for pushing out the urine from your body.

What is bladder cancer and what are its types?

Bladder cancer is defined as uncontrolled growth of cells of the internal tissues. Since the organ has different tissue layers, the bladder cancer can be divided into multiple types. Also, the initial growth of this health problem starts from the inner layer of the organ, which is why it can be quite hard to detect during the early stages. In fact, the visible or detectable symptoms of bladder cancer can be observed quite late, which is why this particular cancer is considered to be more life-threatening.

The types of bladder cancer are:

  • Transitional cell cancer occurs at the inner lining of the organ and is often associated with the initial stages.

  • Squamous cells are present near the urethra and can easily grow back into the blood in case of infective inflammations, thereby causing squamous cell cancer.

  • Adenocarcinoma usually occurs when secretory or glandular cells of the bladder are affected from uncontrolled growth.

What are the symptoms of bladder cancer?       

  • The appearance of blood clots in the urine proves a major infection in the bladder inner lining. Sometimes, during the early stages, the urine might have a slight reddish tinge which indicates the presence of RBCs.

  • Another major symptom of bladder cancer is the feeling of excruciating pain during urination or as you continue to drink water.

  • Due to inflammations of the bladder walls, you may suffer from lower back pain which will be relational in type.

symptoms of bladder cancer

What causes bladder cancer?

The causes of bladder cancer are yet to be listed down in a definitive manner. However, you can get an idea from the risk factors of developing this particular terminal health problem:

  • Drinking water having high concentration of chlorine and arsenic

  • Genetics and heredity

  • Smoking cigarettes or other forms of tobacco

  • Using the catheters for prolonged time

  • Not maintaining hygiene and sanitation

How can bladder cancer be detected?

A series of steps are required to check whether the person is suffering from bladder cancer or simple inflammation and infection in the organ. Some of these examination processes are:

bladder cancer

  • Vaginal and rectum examination

  • Cystoscopy

  • Urine examination- routine and culture

  • Ultrasonography and MRI

  • Urine cytology

Conclusion

Even though bladder cancer is pretty rare and not many cases have been reported till date, the risks are increasing, especially with water pollution. Therefore, if the treatments aren’t improved, soon it will become one of the most deadly diseases in the world. for more information on this consult our doctor at medipulse for proper cure.