Early symptoms of bladder cancer

Written by Xu Chun Hua
Urology
Updated on September 23, 2024
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Hematuria is the most common and earliest symptom of bladder cancer, with 85% of patients experiencing intermittent gross hematuria which can decrease or stop on its own, often giving patients a false impression of improvement or cure, thus delaying treatment. Sometimes, hematuria is also found under a microscope, and the amount of bleeding is not necessarily consistent with the size, number, or malignancy of the tumor. The hematuria from bladder tumors can initially be mild, and other symptoms such as frequent urination, urgency, and painful urination may also occur; these are all manifestations of bladder tumors.

Other Voices

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What is the best medicine for bladder cancer infusion?

Bladder perfusion chemotherapy involves infusing chemotherapy drugs directly into the bladder through a catheter to control tumor growth and reduce the recurrence rate after surgery. Generally, the drugs with significant effects on bladder perfusion fall into three categories. The first category is the anthracyclines, including doxorubicin, epirubicin, and pirarubicin. The second category includes platinum-based drugs such as cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin. The third category is vinorelbine. According to current big data research, vinorelbine bladder perfusion tends to have a lower recurrence rate. Without postoperative bladder perfusion chemotherapy, 60%-70% of patients will eventually experience recurrence. With bladder perfusion chemotherapy, the recurrence rate can be reduced to 20%-30%.

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Is bladder cancer hereditary?

Bladder cancer is the most common malignant tumor in urology, occurring on the mucosa of the bladder and is also one of the top ten common tumors globally. The etiology of bladder cancer is complex, involving both intrinsic genetic factors and external environmental factors, which gives bladder cancer a hereditary tendency. Notable among the major risk factors are smoking and occupational exposure to aromatic amines, with 30% to 50% of bladder cancers caused by smoking. The incidence of bladder cancer significantly increases with the duration of smoking. The initial clinical manifestation of bladder cancer is usually hematuria, typically painless and intermittent gross hematuria. The presence of blood in urine should prompt further diagnostic testing to rule out malignant tumors in the bladder.

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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.

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Can early-stage bladder cancer be cured?

Bladder cancer is a relatively common malignant tumor in the urinary system and tends to occur more frequently in males, with the incidence rate being three to four times higher than that in females. Painless hematuria is likely to be caused by bladder cancer. Therefore, it is crucial to be cautious when hematuria occurs and to seek medical examination at a hospital as soon as possible, such as urinalysis and bladder ultrasound exams, which are non-invasive and relatively inexpensive. Early-stage bladder cancer can potentially be cured, especially if it is superficial. However, patients with poorly differentiated and highly malignant forms may undergo infusion chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Studies have shown that patients with minor bladder cancer, after undergoing systematic treatment, have a relatively high five-year survival rate.

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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.