What is bladder cancer?
Bladder cancer is a kind of malignant tumor located in the tissues of the urinary bladder. According to the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM), it is one of the most frequent cancers in Spain, being among the five most frequent, and ranks ninth in terms of the number of cancers diagnosed worldwide. In developed countries, in fact, it is the fifth most frequent cancer in men, after prostate, lung, colon and rectum and stomach tumors. It is estimated that approximately 357,000 new cases are diagnosed each year worldwide, with a proportion of 274,000 men and 83,000 women.
What are the symptoms?
Bladder cancer can cause certain symptoms and signs, so if the patient has any of the following, he/she should consult a specialist:
- Blood in the urine (bright red or rusty). This is the most common symptom, appearing in 70% of cases.
- Frequent urination.
- Pain or stinging during urination. Occurs in 20% of cases.
- Tenesmus or the need to urinate without success, as well as the need to urinate more frequently.
- Decreased force or caliber of urine.
- Urinary obstruction
Causes of bladder cancer or why it occurs.
There are some predisposing factors to bladder cancer:
- Tobaccoà It is the main cause of bladder cancer, attributing 40% of diagnosed bladder cancers to it. The reason: many carcinogenic products contained in cigarettes are absorbed by the body and eliminated through the urine, affecting the walls of the urinary tract.
- Exposure to industrial chemicals, such as metals, dyes and rubber. Some of the most exposed people are professionals in the metal sector, in paper and chemical industries, those who generate toxic waste, in the printing sector, textile workshops and even painters or truck drivers.
- Human papillomavirusà Some studies support the link between human papillomavirus (HPV) and bladder cancer. Being a carrier of the virus could account for 17% of this type of tumor.
- Family history of bladder cancer or having suffered from other cancers.
Can it be prevented?
Currently there is no sure way to prevent bladder cancer in general terms, since there are some predisposing factors that cannot be avoided. These are: age, gender (it affects more men), race (it is more frequent in whites) or family history and background. However, there are other risk factors that can be avoided, such as smoking or controlling frequent urinary tract infections, among others.
What does the treatment consist of?
Once the bladder cancer has been diagnosed by the oncologist and the stage of the tumor is known, the most appropriate treatment will be determined. As with other cancers, the treatment of bladder cancer must be multidisciplinary in order to combine therapies and increase the cure rate. Likewise, the physician must assess whether the patient suffers from other important diseases that make it difficult to carry out any treatment.
In any case, the most frequent treatments for bladder cancer are surgery, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and chemotherapy.