In many cases, symptoms of bladder cancer are not apparent until the disease has progressed.. Let's find out what symptoms are characteristic of a disease such as bladder cancer.. Bladder cancer can be an invisible disease. The most common symptom of bladder cancer is the presence of blood in the urine..

However, a person may not notice blood in the urine until the disease has spread (until there is enough blood to turn the urine red). Other symptoms of bladder cancer are: pain when urinating or in the pelvic area, which are also usually not characteristic of the early stages of the disease. Symptoms such as frequent urination can easily be mistaken for symptoms of another medical condition (like a urinary tract infection).

A complete physical examination is the first step to establish or rule out a diagnosis of bladder cancer.. The doctor takes a person's medical history, performs a physical exam, and tests for bladder cancer. These tests may include a urinalysis (under a microscope, they look for signs of blood; do a urine culture to see if an infection is causing the symptoms); imaging tests such as CT (computed tomography) or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging); biopsy.

What are the symptoms of bladder cancer?

Blood in the urine is the main symptom of bladder cancer Blood in the urine. The most common symptom of bladder cancer is the presence of blood in the urine - hematuria.. In many cases, this is the first warning symptom of bladder cancer.. Unfortunately, only 95% of patients see a doctor because of the presence of blood in the urine..

Urine may look reddish or appear just darker than normal. However, blood may even be present in such small quantities that it can only be seen under a microscope when analyzing urine.. A urinalysis may be done as part of a routine checkup or because of other symptoms of bladder cancer..

Even if blood is seen in the urine, it may not be present regularly.. Blood can appear in the urine for only one day. Over the next few weeks or even months, you may not notice any change in the color of your urine.. But with bladder cancer, blood will definitely reappear in the urine.!

Frequent and painful urination.

Frequent urination, or frequent urge to urinate. Another symptom of bladder cancer is feeling like you have to urinate more often than usual or being unable to urinate when you feel like doing so..

Patients sometimes report wanting to urinate every half hour. In some cases, people report that it takes longer to complete urination due to slower urine flow.. Pain during urination. Some patients describe a burning sensation during urination.

Pain as a symptom of bladder cancer.

Lower back pain sometimes (but not always)! ) may be a symptom of bladder cancer. This symptom is usually not characteristic of the onset of the disease.. Pelvic pain can also be a symptom of bladder cancer.

Bladder cancer symptoms may have other causes.

The symptoms listed above may indicate bladder cancer, but they can also be signs of other conditions.. Some other possible causes of symptoms include:.

1) Infections such as urinary tract infections.

2) Benign tumors.

3) Bladder stones.

4) Kidney stones. Although blood in the urine can be a symptom of an infection (more for women than men), the appearance of blood after an infection has been treated may indicate bladder cancer..

Why is it important to diagnose bladder cancer early

Early diagnosis of bladder cancer is important for successful treatment of the disease. In many cases, bladder cancer goes unnoticed, so metastases to other organs can be found.. Regular check-ups with a doctor are essential, especially if you have any risk factors for bladder cancer (for example, you are a smoker or have chronic bladder inflammation).

Annual physical exams and regular urinalysis are important tools for detecting bladder cancer.. If you have any of the symptoms of bladder cancer, be sure to see your doctor.. Early diagnosis is the key to successful treatment of bladder cancer..

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