Subscribe
Bladder cancer
Is bladder cancer contagious?
Bladder cancer is not contagious, so there is no need to worry about that. Bladder cancer occurs when there is a cancerous transformation of bladder tissue, leading to the formation of bladder tumors. If the tumors are malignant, they are generally termed bladder cancer. Causes of bladder cancer can include long-term exposure to certain carcinogens, such as occupations involving dyes, leather, or paintwork. Another carcinogenic factor is smoking, which is related to about one-third of bladder cancer cases. Chronic infection or prolonged irritation by foreign bodies can also increase the risk of bladder cancer, as seen in cases with bladder stones, bladder diverticula, or chronic cystitis.
Is there a benign form of bladder cancer?
Tumors are divided into two main categories: benign tumors and malignant tumors. The malignant tumors that occur in epithelial tissues are called cancers, such as lung cancer, bladder cancer, and breast cancer. Therefore, bladder cancer is malignant; there are no benign bladder cancers. Cancer, in contrast to benign tumors, tends to metastasize to distant locations, grow rapidly, and can spread through blood, lymph nodes, and local invasion. Thus, it is termed as cancer and is malignant, which means there is no such thing as benign bladder cancer.
How to prevent bladder cancer
Bladder cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in the urinary system. Currently, the exact cause of bladder cancer is not clear. In terms of prevention, it is generally necessary to drink more water, urinate more frequently, try not to smoke, and reduce exposure to chemical irritants, such as paint, chemical substances, etc. Additionally, an annual physical examination is recommended to enable early detection and early treatment.
What are the symptoms of late-stage bladder cancer?
The symptoms of late-stage bladder cancer include: 1. Difficulty urinating. Due to the large size of the tumor, its location at the neck of the bladder, or the formation of blood clots, there can be blockage of urine flow, difficulty urinating, and even urinary retention. 2. Bladder irritation symptoms. Early-stage bladder often shows fewer urinary irritation symptoms, but when the tumor occurs in the trigone area of the bladder, urinary irritation symptoms may appear earlier. There are also symptoms of upper urinary tract obstruction, such as when the cancer invades the ureteral orifice, causing dilation and accumulation of fluid in the renal pelvis and ureter, and even infections leading to backache, waist pain, fever, etc. Additionally, there are general symptoms, including nausea, reduced appetite, fever, weight loss, anemia, cachexia, and more.
How is bladder cancer treated?
How is bladder cancer treated? Currently, the primary treatment option for bladder cancer is surgery, which can include procedures like transurethral tumor resection, bladder tumor resection, urethral tumor resection through the bladder, and cystectomy, among others. The specific surgical approach is selected based on factors such as the location and size of the bladder cancer. Besides surgical removal of the bladder, other treatment methods such as radiation therapy, chemotherapy, new technology treatments, and traditional Chinese medicine are also available as adjunct therapies. The formulation of a treatment plan should comprehensively consider factors such as the location, size, and stage of the bladder cancer.
Is a bladder tumor the same as bladder cancer?
Not all bladder tumors are bladder cancer, as we all know, all tumors can be benign or malignant. Of course, bladder tumors can also be benign or malignant. Only malignant bladder tumors are considered bladder cancer. If some bladder tumors are benign, they cannot be called bladder cancer. Therefore, no matter how a bladder tumor is diagnosed, whether it is benign or malignant, it should be treated as soon as possible.
Treatment of bladder cancer
For the treatment of bladder cancer, it is necessary first to confirm the diagnosis of bladder cancer through routine urine tests, ultrasonographic examination of the urinary system, cystoscopy, and imaging studies of the urinary system. It is important to determine the location, area, and malignancy of the bladder tumor. For early-stage superficial bladder tumors or tumors on the bladder wall with fewer numbers, minimally invasive surgery can be performed, followed by bladder perfusion to prevent recurrence of the bladder tumor. In the second scenario, if the bladder tumor is multiple and larger, and has a higher degree of malignancy in the bladder trigone area, then a radical cystectomy is required. Radical cystectomy involves the removal of the bladder along with the prostate in males or the uterus in females, followed by the creation of a urinary diversion, typically through these two treatment methods.
What medicine is infused into the bladder for bladder cancer?
Postoperative intravesical chemotherapy infusion is very common in the treatment of bladder cancer. Common drugs used for infusion chemotherapy include mitomycin and anthracyclines such as epirubicin or pirarubicin. Gemcitabine is also frequently used for this purpose. The related side effects generally include irritation symptoms of the bladder, although some patients may experience relatively mild side effects.
The most common clinical manifestations of bladder cancer
The most common clinical manifestations of bladder cancer include: one initial clinical presentation is hematuria, which typically appears as painless, intermittent gross hematuria, sometimes it can also manifest as microscopic hematuria. The hematuria may occur only once or last from one day to several days, and it can subside or stop on its own. The color of the hematuria can be light red, possibly dark brown, generally dark red. The amount of bleeding and the duration of the hematuria are not necessarily proportional to the malignancy degree, size, scope, and number of the tumor. Additionally, bladder cancer patients can experience symptoms of bladder irritation, such as frequent urination, urgent urination, painful urination, and difficulties in urination, etc.
What are the symptoms of bladder cancer?
Bladder cancer's most common symptom is a consistent presence of painless gross hematuria. Some patients also exhibit frequent urination, urgency, and pain during urination as initial signs of bladder irritation. In advanced local stages, palpable pelvic tumors can be detected in patients, with symptoms such as urinary retention, lower abdominal pain, and inability to urinate. In the late stages of bladder cancer, patients may experience weight loss, back and flank pain, and signs of renal failure among other clinical manifestations.