Bladder Cancer

Symptoms & Diagnosis

Symptoms

Common symptoms of bladder cancer include:

Blood in the urine (making the urine slightly rusty to deep red),

Pain during urination, an

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

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 >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 pharmacy health topics the entire cancerous area during the biopsy. For these patients, bladder cancer is diagnosed and treated in a single procedure.

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