Cancer is a scary word for anyone to hear or even think about. It can be hard to wrap our minds around the different sicknesses our body can be affected by, but that should never be an excuse to avoid or ignore health concerns.

The good news is when you are diligent in taking care of your body and health and pay close attention when things feel off, early treatment of many cancers and illnesses can lead to full recovery.

As Urologists, one of the cancers we help our patients detect is bladder cancer.

Bladder cancer is the 5th most common cancer in the United States. Nearly 82,000 people were diagnosed in the United States with bladder cancer in 2018. Bladder cancer is more common in males than females, up to three times more men than women tend to get this disease.

Bladder cancer is more common as a person grows older. It is found most often in the age group of 75-84. More Caucasians than any other ethnicities seem to develop bladder cancer.

Symptoms of Bladder Cancer

The first step to detecting bladder cancer is to be aware of the symptoms you must watch out for.

  • Hematuria (blood in the urine) – the most common symptom, often without pain
  • Frequent and urgent urination
  • Pain when you pass urine
  • Pain in your lower abdomen
  • Back pain

We want to be sure and emphasize that experiencing any of these symptoms is never a sure sign of bladder cancer, however, they should act as a warning sign that you should seek medical care. These symptoms should not be ignored as they could be signs of bladder cancer or a multitude of other urological conditions.

How is Bladder Cancer Detected?

Should you seek medical care from a urologist in regards to any of these symptoms, further tests would be done in order to pinpoint the cause of the symptoms you are experiencing.

A Cystoscopy is the most common and reliable test used to detect bladder cancer. This test can be done in any urology office in Dayton, Ohio.

If you are going to receive this test you can expect a small tube with a camera attached to the end to be inserted through the urethra into the bladder. This allows urologists to look at the inside walls of your bladder and take a tissue sample for further testing.

With the use of local anesthetic (an anesthetic jelly inserted in the urethra) this procedure is relatively painless and may lead to a little soreness or pain when you urinate for the first time afterward.

Through observing the interior of your bladder and testing tissue samples a urologist will be able to determine whether or not bladder cancer is the cause of your symptoms.

Early detection is key when treating almost all cancers. So let us encourage you to not hesitate to seek medical care should you have any concerns regarding your health. This procedure is relatively quick and painless and could be crucial in the start of early treatment.