Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments of Bladder Cancer
When the cells of the inner layer of the urinary bladder, such as the innermost mucosa, begin to grow out of control and the malignant tumor is formed, the condition is called bladder cancer. Through metastasis, the cancerous cells can spread to other body parts and become destructive. The bones, lymph nodes, liver, kidney, and lungs are the primary organs that get affected when the cancer spreads. Generally, the cancerous cells look like shrubs or nodule shaped.
The various types of bladder cancers are as follows:
- Urothelial Carcinoma
Also known as transitional cell carcinoma, this is the most common form of bladder cancer that affects the inner urothelial cells of the urinary tract.
Quite complicated for treating, invasive cancers can spread quickly and affect the deeper layers of the bladder wall.
This condition is primary and treatable as the deeper layers are not easily affected although transitional epithelium cells of the inner layer are affected.
They are generally non-invasive flat tumors growing in the innermost layer of the bladder cells instead of the hollow part of the bladder
The cells look like slender fingers projected from the inner surface in the hollow center of the bladder. They are also non-invasive and have slow growth.
The non-invasive flat cancerous cells affect the squamous cells and are rare.
Only less than 1% of the country’s population gets affected by this type of cancer, in which the neuroendocrine nerve cells are affected. The cancer is invasive and chemotherapy is needed to treat it.
They are rare cases of cancers that start in muscle cells of the bladder.
Around 1% of cases in the country are of this cancer where the invasive cancerous glands are formed in the bladder.
Causes of Bladder Cancer
While smoking, chewing tobacco, chemical exposure, past radiation therapy history, chronic irritation, and parasitic infections are the commonest causes of bladder cancer, there are also some other causes.
- Aging
Although occurring at many ages, most people over 40 are affected by it and the reason is the low functionality of the urinary bladder due to increasing age. - Gender and Race
Men are more likely to get bladder cancer than women due to their urination methods. Caucasians are more likely to be affected as compared to other races. - Work Environment
Those working in factories of dyes, textiles, leather, paint, rubber, etc. are prone to come into contact with toxic chemicals like Arsenic and Lead that increases the chance of getting bladder cancer. - Catheter
Prolonged use of a catheter can cause inflammation, followed by bladder cancer in squamous cells. - Family History
Those who have already fallen victim to bladder cancer have the chance of getting the disease again. Nonpolyposis colorectal carcinoma can often transfer cancer creating genes to first relatives like child, parents, and siblings.
Symptoms of Bladder Cancer
The common symptoms of bladder cancer include hematuria, reddish-colored urine, inflammation or pain while urinating, abdominal pain, back pain, and urinating frequently. The patient may also feel that the bladder is not emptied even after urination and repeatedly feel the urge urinate.
Treatment for Bladder Cancer
After diagnosis, surgery can be done to remove the cancerous cells and intravesical chemotherapy can be done in the urinary bladder to stop the tumor on the bladder lining from recurrence. Removal of the urinary bladder and reconstructing a passage for urinating, radiation therapy to damage cancerous cells, immunotherapy to trigger the immune system, and systemic chemotherapy to prolong the lifespan are the treatment options for severe bladder cancer.
