Bladder Cancer (cont.)
Symptoms of bladder
cancer
Common symptoms of bladder cancer include:
- Blood in the urine (making the urine slightly rusty to deep red),
- Pain during
urination, and
- Frequent urination, or feeling the need to urinate without results.
These symptoms are not sure signs of bladder cancer. Infections, benign
tumors, bladder stones, or other problems also can cause these symptoms. Anyone
with these symptoms should see a doctor so that the doctor can diagnose and
treat any problem as early as possible. People with symptoms like these may see
their family doctor or a urologist, a doctor who
specializes in diseases of the urinary system.
Diagnosis of bladder
cancer
If a patient has symptoms that
suggest bladder cancer, the doctor may check general signs of health and may order lab tests. The person may have one or more
of the following procedures:
- Physical exam -- The doctor feels the abdomen and pelvis for tumors. The
physical exam may include a rectal or vaginal
exam.
- Urine tests -- The
laboratory checks the urine for blood, cancer cells,
and other signs of disease.
- Intravenous pyelogram -- The doctor injects dye into a blood vessel. The dye
collects in the urine, making the bladder show up on x-rays.
- Cystoscopy -- The doctor uses a thin, lighted tube (cystoscope) to look
directly into the bladder. The doctor inserts the cystoscope into the bladder
through the urethra to examine the lining of the bladder. The patient may need
anesthesia for this procedure.
The doctor can remove samples of tissue with the cystoscope. A pathologist
then examines the tissue under a microscope. The removal of tissue to look for
cancer cells is called a biopsy. In many cases, a biopsy is the only sure way to
tell whether cancer is present. For a small number of patients, the doctor
removes the entire cancerous area during the biopsy. For these patients, bladder
cancer is diagnosed and treated in a single procedure.
A patient who needs a biopsy may want to ask the doctor some of the following
questions:
- Why do I need to have a biopsy?
- How long will it take? Will I be awake? Will it
hurt?
- How soon will I know the results?
- Are there any risks? What are the chances of infection or
bleeding after the biopsy?
- If I do have cancer, who will talk with me about treatment? When?
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Next: What is the treatment for bladder cancer? »
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