Bladder cancer is a common cancer that starts in the cells of the bladder. The bladder is a hollow muscular organ that stores urine in the lower abdomen.
Bladder cancer usually starts in the cells on the inside of the bladder (urothelial cells). Your kidneys and the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder (the ureters) also contain ureters. Urinary tract cancer can also occur in the kidneys and ureters, but is more common in the bladder.
Most bladder cancers are diagnosed at an early stage, which makes the cancer curable. But bladder cancer can come back even after successful treatment, even at an early stage. For this reason, bladder cancer survivors need to be screened for bladder cancer recurrence years after treatment.
Symptoms
Symptoms of bladder cancer may include:
Blood in the urine (hematuria) causes the urine to appear bright red or cola-colored, but sometimes the urine looks normal and blood can be detected in a laboratory test.
Frequent urination
Painful urination
Back pain
When to see a doctor?
If you notice a change in the color of your urine and are concerned that it might contain blood, make an appointment with your doctor to get it tested. Also, make an appointment with your doctor if you have other symptoms that worry you.