Bladder Cancer: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

What Is Bladder Cancer?

The bladder is a muscular balloon-like organ that lies inside the pelvis. It collects urine from the kidneys and stores it.

Bladder cancer is the most common cancer involving the urinary system. Typically, bladder cancer starts in the urothelium, which is the innermost lining of the bladder. When the cells in the lining divide uncontrollably and produce extra tissues, this abnormal growth is called a tumour.

When bladder cancer is restricted only to the lining of the bladder wall, it is called superficial bladder cancer.

If the bladder cancer invades the muscle wall and spreads to the lymph nodes, liver, or the lungs, it is then called invasive bladder cancer.

There are three types of bladder cancer:

• Adenocarcinoma
• Squamous cell carcinoma
• Transitional cell or urothelial carcinoma

What Are the Causes and Risk Factors of Bladder Cancer?

The exact cause of bladder cancer is not very clear. However, there are various risk factors that have been linked to bladder cancer:

• Age: Most cases of bladder cancer occur in people over 70 years old.
• Gender and family history: Being male and having a family history of bladder cancer.
• Diet: A diet high in saturated fat and constant intake of certain herbs and painkillers.
• Infections: Chronic bladder infection and certain parasite infections such as Schistosoma haematobium, found in developing countries.
• Smoking: Smoking is responsible for more than 50% of bladder cancer cases.
• Chemical exposure: Recurrent exposure to certain chemicals in the workplace, including exposure to hair dye and aniline dyes, used in textile and rubber industries.

What Are the Symptoms of Bladder Cancer?

The following are symptoms that can be attributed to bladder cancer:

• Blood in urine
• Loss of appetite and weight loss
• Having to urinate more than usual
• Painful urination
• Feeling the urge to urinate even if the bladder is not full
• Lower back pain on one side
• Weak urine stream
• Fatigue and weakness

How Is Bladder Cancer Treated?

There are different treatment options available for bladder cancer, depending on the grade of the cancer and how deeply it has invaded the bladder wall.

The treatment recommended will depend on your general health. Your doctor will evaluate your condition and suggest an individualised treatment plan that consists of a single or a combination of treatment methods.

If the bladder cancer is still in the early (superficial) stage, treatment includes:

• Follow-ups after treatment as superficial bladder cancers tend to re-occur.
• Intravesical chemotherapy, which can be used alone or after TURBT, whereby chemotherapy drugs are injected directly into the bladder through a catheter.
• Trans-urethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT), a minimally invasive surgery that uses a resectoscope instrument, which is inserted into the bladder through the urethra, to remove the tumour or burn away bladder cancer cells with an electric current.

If the bladder cancer has reached an advanced (invasive) stage, the following treatment options may be recommended:

• Biological therapy that uses live-attenuated Bcg bacteria, to trigger an immune response against the bladder cancer cells. The bacteria are injected directly into the bladder using a catheter.
• Chemotherapy drugs are injected intravenously to kill cancer cells. These can also be given orally.
• Radiotherapy is used to kill cancer cells by using high-energy rays and to relieve symptoms caused by bladder cancer.
• Radical cystectomy, a surgery that removes the whole bladder, surrounding lymph nodes and any neighbouring organs that have become cancerous. If this is necessary, a section of the intestines will be used to create a new way to pass urine. The urine is diverted to an opening on the outside of the body and the patient will be required to wear a bag attached to this opening to collect and drain urine. This is referred to as an ostomy bag.

Make an Appointment at Pantai Hospitals

Early detection of bladder cancer makes it easier to treat the disease with effective and appropriate treatment. A dedicated multidisciplinary team of specialists and oncologists at Pantai Hospitals is available for consultation to provide the best care and assistance to patients through screening, diagnosis, and treatment.

Get in touch with us to book an appointment today if you have any concerns or questions about bladder cancer treatment options.

Pantai Hospital has been accredited by the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health (MSQH) for its commitment to patient safety and service quality.