SpecialtiesBladder Cancer
Male and Felmale Urinary System
Image provided by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health
The bladder is a hollow, muscular organ shaped like a balloon that sits in your pelvis. Kidneys filter wastes from the blood, which then combine with water to form urine, which travels down thin tubes called ureters to the bladder. The bladder stores urine and empties it through the urethra.
Bladder cancer forms in tissues of the bladder (the organ that stores urine). Most bladder cancers are transitional cell carcinomas, which begin in cells that normally make up the inner lining of the bladder. Less common types include squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, which develop in the bladder as a result of chronic irritation and inflammation.
Risk factors
No one knows the exact causes of bladder cancer. Studies have shown that people who get bladder cancer are more likely to have the following risk factors: a history of smoking, exposure to certain substances such as rubber, certain dyes and textiles, paint and hairdressing supplies; a diet high in fried meats and fat, being an older, male or white and having an infection caused by a certain parasite.
Signs and symptoms
Dr. Primo Lara
The most common sign of bladder cancer is blood in the urine, a condition that is usually painless. In some women, bladder cancer is often accompanied by a urinary tract infection, which can cause urination frequency and feeling an urgent need to urinate without results. When these symptoms are present, a medical evaluation is needed to rule out bladder cancer.
Diagnosis
To diagnose bladder cancer, the doctor must first rule out other possible causes of blood in the urine. A blood test will be ordered to make sure your kidneys are functioning properly. A CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis also will be ordered to look for other possible causes of bleeding. Finally, your doctor will look for abnormalities in the transitional cells that line a portion of the kidneys and the ureter, which carries urine to the bladder. If abnormalities are detected, your primary care doctor will refer you to one of our urological oncologists.
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