Bladder Cancer Symptoms (2024)

FAQs

Bladder Cancer Symptoms? ›

The 5-year relative survival rate of people with bladder cancer that has not spread beyond the inner layer of the bladder wall is 96%. Almost half of people are diagnosed with this stage. If the tumor is invasive but has not yet spread outside the bladder, the 5-year relative survival rate is 70%.

The 5-year relative survival rate of people with bladder cancer that has not spread beyond the inner layer of the bladder wall is 96%. Almost half of people are diagnosed with this stage. If the tumor is invasive but has not yet spread outside the bladder, the 5-year relative survival rate is 70%.

Bladder cancer spreads at different speeds depending on the type of bladder cancer you have. Urothelial bladder cancer is slow to spread, while other types are much faster. Urothelial bladder cancer is the most common type of bladder cancer. It typically doesn't spread very quickly.

Early bladder cancer symptoms can be difficult to recognize, but some common symptoms include: Blood in urine, which may appear orange, pink or rarely, dark red. Change in bladder habits such as increased frequency or urgency of urination. Pain or burning sensation during urination.

In most cases, blood in the urine (called hematuria) is the first sign of bladder cancer. There may be enough blood to change the color of the urine to orange, pink, or, less often, dark red.

Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer can often be cured. For muscle-invasive bladder cancer, prognosis also depends on whether carcinoma in situ is also present.

Bladder cancer is most likely to spread to the structures close to the bladder, such as the ureters, urethra, prostate, vagin*, or into the pelvis. This is called local spread or locally advanced cancer.

If the cancer is just on the inner lining of the bladder (stage 0 or carcinoma in situ), the 5-year survival rate is about 98%. If the cancer is growing just beyond the inner lining into the bladder wall, but is still just in the bladder (Stage I), the 5-year survival rate is about 88%.

Can bladder cancer go undetected for years? If symptoms such as blood in the urine and changes in urinary habits are ignored by an individual and/or repeatedly misdiagnosed, it's possible that bladder cancer may not be detected for months or, in some cases, even years.

The first sign of bladder cancer is blood in the urine, which is painless for most people. In the early stages, this may be your only symptom, though some people don't experience it. Other symptoms include changes in bladder habits, frequent urinary infections, and pelvic or back pain, which might be on one side.

What can be mistaken for bladder cancer? ›

Bladder Cancer is a heterogeneous disease; the main symptom is painless hematuria. However, patients with Bladder Cancer may initially be misdiagnosed as Cystitis or infection, and cystoscopy alone may sometimes be misdiagnosed as urolithiasis or Cystitis, thereby delaying medical attention.

The most common symptom is blood in the urine, called hematuria. It's often slightly rusty to bright red in color. You may see blood in your urine at one point, then not see it again for a while. Sometimes there are very small amounts of blood in the urine that can only be found by having a test done.

Bladder cancer signs and symptoms may include: Blood in urine (hematuria), which may cause urine to appear bright red or cola colored, though sometimes the urine appears normal and blood is detected on a lab test.

Pain in flank, the section of the back between the ribs and the hip bone. Painful urination. Frequent urination. Urinary hesitancy, or difficulty beginning to urinate.

Other symptoms

These include: weight loss for no reason. pain in your back, lower tummy or bones. feeling tired and unwell.

In many cases, the first noticeable sign of bladder cancer is blood in the urine (hematuria), which can make the urine appear dark yellow, light pink, bright red or reddish-brown.

Most people don't die as a result of this type of bladder cancer. When the cancerous cells spread beyond the lining, into the surrounding muscles of the bladder, it's referred to as muscle-invasive bladder cancer. This is less common, but has a higher chance of spreading to other parts of the body and can be fatal.

But researchers also noted that people with bladder cancer had a higher risk of dying from secondary cancers, heart diseases, and COPD than the people who never had bladder cancer. It should be noted that heart disease and COPD are both smoking-related diseases, as is bladder cancer.

Survival rates for bladder cancer are generally high, although they vary by age. The five-year relative survival rate for localized bladder cancer is 67% for people age 65 and up, 79% for people age 50-64, and 84% for people under age 50 at diagnosis, according to data from the National Cancer Institute.

Fortunately, the majority of bladder cancers do not grow rapidly and can be treated without major surgery. Thus, most patients with bladder cancer are not at risk of developing a cancer that will spread and become life threatening.