What Is Bladder Cancer?
Bladder cancer is one of the cancer types with a large patient population worldwide. According to 2018 Global Cancer Research Institute data, lung, colon, breast, stomach and prostate cancers are among the most common cancers. Bladder cancer comes after these cancer types. The frequency of cancers may vary by region. Therefore, the frequency and mortality rate of cancers, including bladder cancer in particular, depend directly on the place where patients live, their living conditions and their habits.In particular, since the bladder is an important organ of the excretory system, the patient's eating habits may explain the process of cancer development and its treatment. Today, effective treatments exist even for the highest-risk cancer groups. Cancer research and the budgets countries allocate to this disease group reflect the effort to explain both how the diseases develop and how they are treated. Bladder cancer too, with treatments developed recently, may cease to be a disease that frightens patients. Specialist doctors and clinics with adequate physical equipment in this field can guide patients in their choices.
What Are the Risk Factors for Bladder Cancer?
As medical science advances, the frequency of diseases also increases. The bladder is an organ directly related to the nutrients taken into the body and the amount of fluid consumed. To explain the development of diseases, it can be said that everything taken into the body through diet is, in a sense, a person's destiny for their health. For this reason, from a young age, proper consumption, physical exercise, staying away from bad habits and being able to manage stress means minimising the danger for cancer. Apart from these risk factors known to many patients, there are also risks that indicate the development of bladder cancer and explain the progression of the disease. Patients at risk of bladder cancer, in general terms, are as follows:
Advanced age, especially between 50-80 years
Male sex
Long-term use of analgesic drugs (painkillers)
Use of the drug Siklofosfamid, which is frequently used in chemotherapy
Long-term exposure to environmental carcinogens such as radiation
Genetic abnormalities
Not drinking enough water
Herbal supplements used for weight loss
Arsenic in drinking water
Chronic bladder irritation
Common infections such as Schistosoma haematobium
Genetic factors are a widely studied factor known to be highly influential in the etiology of cancers. However, genetic effects are more limited in bladder cancer than in other cancers. In patient groups where genetic factors are influential, TP53 gene mutation, chromosome 9 loss, and the absence of so-called mutation-suppressing factors, retinoblastoma (RB), are seen.
Patients who show more than one risk factor and have been in these risk groups for a long time need regular check-ups throughout the year. Especially for elderly male patients with a family history of bladder cancer, check-ups by specialist urologists are very important for the early diagnosis of the disease. By being aware of risks in yourself and those around you, you can make an appointment right away to benefit from experienced physician and clinical services.
What Are the Symptoms of Bladder Cancer?
Bladder cancer symptoms, such as pain, burning and swelling at the site of the tumour formation and in organs around the bladder, may prompt patients to go to hospital. Symptoms may often be characterised by pains ranging from the lower abdomen to the back. Due to changes in the normal functioning of the excretory system and the effect the disease has on quality of life, patients may seek a specialist physician. When bladder cancer symptoms are evaluated according to the complaints of patients when they come to the clinic, the following list emerges:
Painful urination
Thinning of the urine stream
Feeling the need to urinate when the bladder is not sufficiently full
Blood in the urine, with orange-red coloured urine (haematuria)
Back pain
Excessive and rapid weight loss
Constantly feeling tired
Swelling in the feet
Pain while urinating
Getting up so often at night to urinate that it wakes you up
Having more than one of the above symptoms may indicate bladder cancer. However, it is not sufficient for a definitive bladder cancer diagnosis. Similar symptoms may also be seen in overactive bladder, benign bladder tumours, urinary tract infections, cystitis and kidney diseases. For this reason, a specialist physician's opinion is needed for a definitive diagnosis and evaluation.
How Is Bladder Cancer Detected?
In cancer diagnosis, the greatest advantage for patients is regular check-ups carried out for early diagnosis. During these examinations, bladder cancer can be detected early, before it progresses in classification. Diagnostic steps vary according to the patient's condition and the progression level of the cancer. For patients who apply to clinics with certain complaints and show signs of bladder cancer, the following tests are requested:
Hemogram (complete blood count test)
Urine culture
Urine test
Computed tomography (CT)
Magnetic resonance (MR)
PET scan
Urine cytology
Cystoscopy
TURBT (transurethral resection of the bladder tumour and biopsy of the tumour)
All these additional tests are important for a definitive diagnosis and are performed to support one another or to eliminate the possibility of cancer. If you are experiencing signs of bladder cancer and are looking for a specialist clinic with adequate equipment, you can make an appointment right away and come to the clinic for further tests.
What Surgical Methods Are Used for Bladder Cancer?
The development of surgical methods affects advances in cancer research and the success rate of operations. As in earlier periods, cancer types, and especially cancers with a clearly defined patient group such as bladder cancer, are not hopeless diseases. In recent years, as new studies on bladder cancer treatment and surgical operation methods continue, patients also seek clinics and physicians who keep pace with new techniques. Treatment planning for bladder cancer should be based on the cancer stage, grade and patient history. In general, the treatment models applied today for bladder cancer are as follows:
Surgical Treatment: Completely removing and clearing the tumorous tissue, where cancerous cells accumulate and progression cannot be halted, by surgical incision.
Intravesical Therapy: A type of chemotherapy limited only to the bladder. It is performed with chemotherapeutic agents administered from the urethra into the bladder. It is used in cases of complete clearance after surgical operation or in cancers with a risk of invasion.
Systemic Chemotherapy: A chemotherapy method aimed at killing cancerous tissues in the body with orally taken medications. It is generally preferred in patients for whom surgical treatment is not possible.
Radiation Therapy: Cancerous cells are killed with radioactive rays delivered from outside the body.
Immunotherapy: A method that strengthens the immune system to stimulate the body's fight against cancerous cells.
Transurethral Resection (TUR): With this method, used in both diagnosis and treatment, the aim is to remove cancerous tissues piece by piece by burning them with a catheter inserted into the bladder through the urethra.
