Urinary Bladder Cancer – Facts about Symptoms and Treatments
Urinary bladder cancer is a disease wherein abnormal cells develop in the bladder without control.
This is also the condition in which several types of malignant growths in the urinary bladder occur. This cancer starts in the cells lining of the inside of the bladder. It is a cancer that is commonly called transitional cell carcinoma.
Urinary bladder cancer symptoms vary depending on the stage. The presence of blood in the urine is the common one. This is usually visible or sometimes not which may be detected using microscope. There is also pain during and after urination. Even the urge or frequency to urinate is another symptom of urinary bladder cancer. Seeking a doctor for diagnosis is what you must do if you feel these symptoms.
There are several urinary bladder cancer treatment options. The treatment to apply depends on the stages where the cancer has reached. The removal of all tumors through surgery is one way to treat the cancer. Urinary bladder cancer surgery is the most common and the best treatment. This is done through the urethra which does not require the opening of the abdominal cavity. In some cases when there are numerous tumors the doctor may perform successive TURBT’s or an extensive operation. It is a requirement to have the removal of partial or complete urinary bladder. Preventive therapy by flushing the bladder with several biologically and chemically active substances called bladder instillations is another treatment method. This is to kill all cancer cells that are not removed during surgery. Taking these treatments can help a patient survive.
Here is information regarding urinary bladder cancer staging. Stage 0 is the stage wherein the cancer cells are found at the bladder’s inner surface. This is the earliest stage of this disease known as superficial cancer. Stage I is the condition wherein the cancer cells have already penetrated the bladder’s inner lining but the muscle layer have not been reached. Stage II is when the cancer cells have reached the muscle layer. Stage III is the stage wherein the cells have penetrated beyond the bladder muscle and into the tissue’s outer layer surrounding the bladder. Stage IV is the critical stage whereas cancer cells have already spread into the abdominal or wall of the pelvic. Curing urinary bladder cancer becomes effective if proper treatment is given as soon as possible.
Surviving urinary bladder cancer depends on how effective treatment is applied. The urinary bladder cancer survival rate due to the late diagnosis is only 78% for 5-year survival period in women. The 10-year survival rate for women lowers down to 69%. The survival rate for urinary bladder cancer male patients increases more than 5% compared to the rate in women. We can conclude that the overall urinary bladder cancer prognosis is a bit progressive. The chance to survive is very positive if some prompt treatments are given to the patient. Getting rid of this cancer is not that difficult at all especially during the early stages.