Bladder cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers globally. It is a condition in which cancer develops from the tissues of the bladder. The bladder is an organ that stores urine, from the kidney, that is set to be passed out from the body. The cancerous cells in the bladder have the ability to spread from the bladder to other parts of the body. Some of the signs and symptoms of this disease include blood in the urine, discomfort when urinating, pain in the back, especially the lower back and so on. The primary cause of this disease is not known yet. However, it occurs when there is a mutation in the genes that control the growth of the bladder cells. The mutation causes the cells of the bladder to grow rapidly, and uncontrollably. They also attain a certain level of immortality, as they don’t die. Some of the factors that have been associated with the development of bladder cancer include smoking, exposure to toxins, chemicals, prolonged and frequent exposure to radiations, prolonged irritation of the bladder lining, infections and so on. There are different types of bladder cancer, and some of them include squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and so on. Physicians diagnose this disease by carrying out a biopsy. This is done through cystoscopy. Other methods that are used in diagnosing the disease include medical imaging like CT scan, bone scan and so on. The treatment of the disease largely of depends on the staging and severity of the disease. Some of the ways of treating bladder cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and so on. The average survival rate of this disease is 5 years. Researchers are working on ways to make shockwave an effective way of improving the symptoms of the disease.

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Bladder Cancer?

Persons affected with bladder cancer do present with symptoms that mostly affect urination. Below are some of the signs and symptoms:

What Are The Causes Of Bladder Cancer?

Bladder cancer occurs when there is a mutation in the genes that control the growth of bladder cells. The mutation causes the bladder cells to grow rapidly and without control. Also, the cancer cells do not die. Below are some of the factors that contribute to the development of bladder cancer:

What Are The Types Of Bladder Cancer?

There are different types of cells in the bladder that can develop into malignant cells. Basically, the type of cell that turns malignant will determine the type of bladder cancer the patient will have. Below are the types of cancer;

Treatment Of Bladder Cancer

There are several approaches to the treatment of bladder carcinoma. These ranges from surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy. The kind of method your doctor would suggest depends entirely on the stage of cancer.

References

Bladder cancer: diagnosis and management of bladder cancer. (2017). BJU International, 120(6), pp.755-765.

National Cancer Institute. (2018). Bladder Cancer. [online] Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/types/bladder [Accessed 12 Mar. 2018].