Bladder Cancer: What to Know

Bladder cancer is when abnormal tissue (tumor) grows in your bladder. Your bladder is the organ that stores pee. Two tubes called ureters carry pee from your kidneys to your bladder.

The bladder wall is made of layers of tissue. If the cancer spreads through these layers, it becomes harder to treat.

What increases the risk?

You're more likely to have bladder cancer if:

• You smoke.
• You work with chemicals, rubber, leather, fabric, dyes, or paint.
• You're 55 years old or older.
• You're male.
• You have long-term bladder inflammation.
• You have a history of cancer. This includes:
  • A family history of bladder cancer.
  • Having had bladder cancer before.
  • Having had treatments for cancer, such as:
    • Chemotherapy, which are medicines used to kill cancer cells.
    • Radiation therapy, which uses strong X-rays or capsules to kill and shrink tumors.
• You have been exposed to a poisonous substance called arsenic.

What are the signs or symptoms?

Early symptoms include:

• Blood in your pee.
• Pain when you pee.
• Frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs).
• Needing to pee more often or sooner than usual.

Late symptoms include:

• Not being able to pee.
• Pain on one side of your lower back.
• Losing your appetite.
• Losing weight.
• Feeling very tired.
• Swelling in your feet.
• Bone pain.

How is this diagnosed?

You may be diagnosed based on:

• Your medical history.
• A physical exam.
• Your symptoms.
• Lab tests, such as blood or pee tests.
• Imaging tests, such as CT scan, PET scan, MRI, bone scan, or X-ray.

You may also need other tests or procedures, such as:

• A cystoscopy. This is when a small, flexible tube is put inside your bladder to look for tumors.
• A biopsy. This is when a small piece of tissue is removed to be checked for cancer cells.

You may need more testing to see if the bladder cancer has grown or spread into other parts of your body.

How is this treated?

Your health care provider will recommend treatment based on the stage of your cancer. Common treatments are:

• Surgery to remove the cancer. This may include:
  • A transurethral resection to take out the tumor from inside your bladder.
  • A cystectomy to remove the whole bladder.
• Radiation therapy. This uses strong X-rays to kill cancer cells.
• Chemotherapy. This uses medicines to kill cancer cells.
• Immunotherapy. This helps your body's defense system (immune system) to fight the cancer cells.

Follow these instructions at home:

• Take your medicines only as told.
• If you were given antibiotics, take them as told. Do not stop taking them even if you start to feel better.
• Eat a healthy diet.
• Do not smoke, vape, or use nicotine or tobacco.
• Think about joining a support group to help with your feelings and stress.
• Keep all follow-up visits. Your treatment plan may need changes.

Where to find more information

To learn more, go to these websites:

• American Cancer Society (ACS): cancer.org. Then:
  1. Type "bladder cancer" in the search box.
  2. Find the links you need.
• National Cancer Institute (NCI): cancer.gov. Then:
  1. Type "bladder cancer" in the search box.
  2. Find the links you need.

Contact a health care provider if:

• You have side effects from your cancer treatments.
• You have symptoms of a UTI, such as:
  • Fever.
  • Chills.
  • Feeling weak.
  • Muscle aches.
  • Pain in your belly.
  • Feeling like you need to pee more often.
  • Burning when you pee.

Get help right away if:

• You have blood in your pee.
• You can't pee.
• You have very bad pain.