|
Cancer of the bladder usually starts in the bladderÂ’s lining. If it is not caught early, the cancer can spread into the bladder and the rest of the body. At Advanced Urology, we work to diagnose bladder cancer early enough that it can be successfully treated.
Risks and Symptoms of Bladder Cancer
Most patients that have bladder cancer end up coming to us because of the uncomfortable symptoms. Common symptoms include slowing of the urine stream, pain during urination, pelvic pain, blood in the urine, and inability to urinate. Patients with a history of smoking are at the highest risk of developing bladder cancer. In addition, age appears to increase the risk of the disease. Almost all cases of bladder cancer are in individuals who are over 55, and half of the cases are in people who are over 70.
The presence of these common symptoms of bladder cancer do not necessarily mean that cancer is present. For instance, the symptoms could indicate nothing more than a simple bladder infection. However, if it is cancer, the earlier we diagnose the condition, the better the prognosis. If you experience any of these symptoms, contact us right away to begin diagnosis.
Diagnosis and Treatment
If you come to Advanced Urology with these symptoms, we will run some tests to determine whether or not you have cancer. If the tests come back indicating that there is cancer in your bladder, we will perform further testing to locate the cancer and determine how advanced and aggressive it is. This will help us create a treatment plan.
The goal of treatment is to preserve your life its quality. Mild cancers can be treated through intravesical treatment options. Endoscopic surgery can also be used to treat bladder cancer. For more advanced cancers, open surgery may be necessary. Most of these treatments will be followed by radiation or chemotherapy to ensure that all of the cancer cells have been destroyed.
|
