Bladder cancer - Symptoms (2024)

FAQs

Bladder cancer - Symptoms? ›

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.

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.

Symptoms if bladder cancer has spread to your bones

The most common symptom if cancer has spread to the bone is bone pain. It is usually there most of the time and can wake you up at night. The pain can be a dull ache or stabbing pain.

The symptoms of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and the symptoms of bladder cancer can be very similar. Both may involve pain while urinating, a feeling of urgency, frequent urination, and the presence of white or red blood cells in the urine.

The most efficient, noninvasive and inexpensive test is a urinalysis/cytology. Here, a sample of urine is taken from the patient and evaluated for cancer cells, red and white blood cells (which fight urinary tract infections), and microscopic hematuria or infection.

Most often, blood in the urine (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.

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.

Back pain. Pain may start in your pelvic region, but as it worsens, you may feel pain that radiates into your lower back. Back pain associated with bladder cancer is often felt on one side of the body. You may also experience pain you feel in your bones.

Even after reporting the problem to their doctors, blood in the urine may be initially misdiagnosed. It may be seen as a symptom of post-menopausal bleeding, simple cystitis or a urinary tract infection. As a result, a bladder cancer diagnosis can be overlooked for a year or more.

What does urine look like with bladder cancer? ›

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. Frequent urination. Painful urination.

Your GP may want to examine you internally. They put a gloved finger into your back passage (rectum) or vagin*. This is to see if everything feels normal. The doctor can sometimes feel a bladder tumour during this type of examination.

Feeling weak or fatigued: You may feel lethargic and extremely tired a lot of the time. Bone pain: If your cancer has spread to the bone, it can cause bone pain or a bone fracture. Swollen feet: Bladder cancer that has spread (metastasized) to your lymph nodes, for instance, could cause your feet to swell.

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%.

If you're under surveillance for bladder cancer recurrence, a healthcare professional may recommend using at-home urine tests that measure biomarker genes. After you take a urine sample at home, you mail it back to a laboratory for analysis.

Cystoscopy. Cystoscopy is the key diagnostic procedure for bladder cancer. It allows the doctor to see inside the body with a thin, lighted, flexible tube called a cystoscope. Flexible cystoscopy is performed in a doctor's office and does not require anesthesia, which is medication that blocks the awareness of pain.

Where can bladder cancer spread to? Not all bladder cancers will spread. But If it does it's 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.

For most people, the first symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine, also called hematuria. Sometimes the blood is visible, prompting the patient to visit a doctor.

Even after reporting the problem to their doctors, blood in the urine may be initially misdiagnosed. It may be seen as a symptom of post-menopausal bleeding, simple cystitis or a urinary tract infection. As a result, a bladder cancer diagnosis can be overlooked for a year or more.