Symptoms of Bladder Cancer
- Appearance of blood or blood clots in the urine
- An urge to urinate several times throughout the night(nocturia)
- Feeling the need to urinate, unable to pass urine
- Painful urination or burning sensation during urination
- Frequent urination
- Lower back pain on either side of the body
Bladder Cancer: Diagnosis
bladder cancer:
- Cytology, kit tests
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Positron emission tomography (PET) also known as PET-CT scan.
- Ultrasound
- CAT scan or Computed tomography (CT scan)
Bladder Cancer Treatment
- The main diagnostic procedure for bladder cancer is cystoscopy.
- This procedure helps the urologist to see inside the body with the help of thin, lightweight and a flexible tube called also known as a cystoscope.
Transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT)
- Transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT). TURBT is also known as Transurethral resection of a bladder tumour. If an irregular or unusual tissue is found while performing a cystoscopy, the urologist usually recommends a biopsy. A biopsy refers to the elimination of a small fragment of tissue for review under a microscope
- A TURBT is helpful for the diagnosis of bladder cancer and finding out about the type of a tumour, what are the extent of its depth and what layers of the bladder it has gone to, and identification of any further microscopic cancerous transformations, also known as carcinoma in situ (CIS)
- A TURBT can also be used as a treatment for a non-muscle-invasive tumour.
FAQ's For Bladder Cancer
The bladder is an elastic, hollow organ in the pelvic region that collects urine before it moves out from the body during urination, because of this role, it makes the bladder an essential part of the urinary tract.
The bladder, just as the any other part of the urinary tract, is lined with a band of cells known as urothelium. This layer of cells is secluded from the bladder wall muscles called muscularis propria, by a thin, fibrous band known as lamina propria.
Bladder cancer is the abnormal growth of healthy cells in the bladder lining that grows excessively and out of control, forming a mass called a tumour.
What are the tumour types?
A tumour is of two types malignant and benign.
A malignant or a cancerous tumour is malignant, which means it can grow and expand to join other body parts.
A benign tumour grows but does not spread to other body parts.
There are three main types of bladder cancers:
There are three main types of bladder cancers:
- Urothelial carcinoma(most common). is the most common type of cancer that estimates for about 90% of all bladder cancers. This type of bladder cancer develops in the urothelial cells that are found in the lining of the urinary bladder. Earlier, this cancer was known as transitional cell carcinoma(TCC).
- Squamous cell carcinoma. in response to irritation and inflammation squamous cells develop in the bladder lining (like patients on prolong catheterization). With time these cells become malignant. About 24% of all bladder cancers are squamous cell carcinoma.
- Adenocarcinoma. About 2% of all bladder cancers are adenocarcinomas that develops from epithelial cells. Bladder cancer is also defined as muscle-invasive, and non-muscle-invasive depending on whether it has spread into or through the muscle of the bladder wall.
What do stage and grade mean?
- The stage refers to the location of cancer or to the place where it has developed, and whether it is affecting other parts of the body.
- There are 5 stages of any cancer: stage 0 (zero) and stages I to IV (1 through 4). The tumour is also given a grade, that defines how much healthy cancer cells look like when viewed under a microscope.
The treatment of bladder cancer depends on various factors such as grade, type and stage, of a tumour; potential side effects; and the patient’s decisions considering the overall well-being.
Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer(NMIBC)
This type of cancer is normally fully removed during a procedure called transurethral bladder tumour resection (TURBT).
The urologist may suggest further treatments to decrease the risk of a relapse, as seen in the case of chemotherapy delivered through a catheter or immunotherapy.
Muscle-invasive bladder cancer
MIBC treatment involves surgical intervention for removing the complete bladder or nearby lymph nodes are also usually recommended. This process is also called cystectomy.
Common Terms in Bladder cancer treatments
Biopsy: it is the elimination of a tissue sample after examining under a microscope by a pathologist to check the growth of cancer cells
Immunotherapy: This method is used to restore immune system function with the use of biomaterials of your own body or cultivated in a laboratory for improving and, targeting the cancer cells.
Catheter:Catheter is a hollow tube that is put through the urethra for draining the urine or for delivering drugs for intravesical chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy: The method of cancer treatment is extensively used for killing cancer cells
Cystoscopy: Treatment Method where a urologist places a small, hollow viewing tube known as cystoscope into the urethra for viewing into the bladder.
Immunotherapy: The use of materials made either by the body or in a laboratory to improve, target, or restore immune system function
Metastasis:metastasis refers to the spreading of cancer from its point of origin to another part of the body
Prognosis: Chance of recovery Radiation therapy: The use of high-energy x-rays to destroy cancer cells
Tumor: An unusual growth of body tissue is called a tumor.
TURBT(transurethral resection of bladder tumour): Procedure that removes the tumor with a small wire loop, a laser, or high-energy electricity
TURBT(transurethral resection of a bladder tumour):Procedure that removes a tumour with a small wire loop, a laser, or high-energy electricity
Urologic oncologist: A Urologist is a doctor who specializes in treating cancers of the urinary tract. Dr. Ashish Saini is also the best urologist in Delhi who gives the most advanced treatment for all urinary troubles including the bladder cancer.