The bladder is an organ located below the navel that is responsible for storing urine before being expelled through the urethra. This cancer occurs when cancer cells grow in the tissues of the bladder. It is one of the most common cancers and among the factors that can contribute to its appearance are tobacco, chemical substances and the human papillomavirus. Your prognosis will depend on the state of the tumor when it is detected and some of the symptoms that can alert you to its presence are blood in the urine, pain when urinating, and the feeling of needing to urinate when the bladder is empty. At FastlyHealwe explain the causes, symptoms and treatments of bladder cancer .
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Causes and Risk Factors of Bladder Cancer
Although a direct cause that involves the development of bladder cancer cannot be established, there are a number of factors that could contribute to a person suffering from it. Some of these factors can be corrected, while others cannot. This does not mean that people who have any of these will develop bladder cancer, just as it does not mean that those who do not have any do not have any risk.
- Snuff . As usual, tobacco is one of the causes of countless ailments. In the case of bladder cancer, it ranks first as a factor that could increase the risk of suffering from it. One fact is that half of the people who get bladder cancer are from smoking. This is explained because the chemical substances in tobacco are filtered into the lungs, from these they pass into the blood, and from the blood they are filtered into the kidneys. This causes the substances to remain in the urine, causing damage to the cells of the inner wall of the bladder. Therefore, the risk of bladder cancer is higher.
- Chemical substances . Certain chemicals such as certain metals, dyes, and gums are also linked to bladder cancer. Therefore, some workers who are directly exposed to the substances that are used to make these materials, could have a greater chance of developing it.
- Age and sex . Cancer is more common in older people, so the older you are, the greater the risk. 90% of bladder cancer patients are over 55 years of age. On the other hand, men are more likely to suffer from it than women.
- Family history . In the event that there are relatives who have suffered from the disease, the risk is also higher.
- Bladder irritation Some of the causes of chronic bladder irritation such as kidney stones and urinary tract infections could be linked to bladder cancer.
- The consumption of some medicines and certain nutritional supplements could also be related to bladder cancer. In the first case, it is a drug against diabetes, which could be dangerous for this cancer if it is consumed for more than a year. As for food supplements, it is a herb that comes from the Aristolochia family .
Symptoms of bladder cancer
Some of the most common symptoms of bladder cancer are:
- Haematuria . It is the main symptom of this type of cancer and consists of the expulsion of blood with the urine. The color can vary depending on the amount of blood in the urine, so it can appear in a pale pink tone or a redder tone. Just because more blood is expelled does not mean that the tumor is larger. On the other hand, it must be taken into account that urinating blood is not always synonymous with suffering from urine cancer, as it can be the cause of other diseases.
- The urge to urinate, also known as tenesmus , even when the bladder is empty. It is a very frequent symptom and consists of the feeling of wanting to urinate without actually doing so.
- Pain or burning sensation when urinating , also known as dysuria.
- Symptoms such as decreased urine strength are also common.
- Some of the symptoms of advanced cancer include being unable to urinate, bone pain, and swelling in the feet.
Bladder cancer treatment
Treatment for bladder cancer will depend mainly on its stage. The stage is translated as the size of the tumor and its spread. Each stage carries a higher risk and one more step in the development of cancer. Age, general health of the patient, and other factors that may pose a higher risk are some of the things that come into play when thinking about different treatment options.
These are the treatments that are usually applied for the different stages of bladder cancer:
- Chemotherapy . It consists of the administration of drugs to fight cancer cells. It can be administered orally or through the blood. There are different ways of carrying out chemotherapy, among which are the local one, with which it is administered in the area to be treated, and the one that is supplied through the blood so that it reaches everywhere through the bloodstream.
- Radiation therapy . Another way to kill cancer cells is by radiation. radiation can be used to treat early-stage bladder cancer, as well as treatment for those who cannot undergo chemotherapy . It can also be used in those cases of advanced bladder cancer and to prevent and treat the symptoms that bladder cancer produces.
- Intravesical therapy . In this case, a drug is injected directly into the bladder in order to fight the bladder cancer cells, so any cells outside the bladder are not killed. Therefore, this treatment is only applied in those cases in which the cancer is not invasive.
- Surgery . It is used in the event that the tumor is not very large and has not spread. Depending on each case, the bladder and its tissues can be removed, and sometimes the urethra.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Bladder cancer: causes, symptoms and treatment , we recommend that you enter our Kidneys and urinary system category .

I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.