Ans. : Bladder cancer is more common than people realise. Over 10,000 cases are diagnosed each year in the Indian sub-continent. The majority of these (about 7,500) are diagnosed in men, meaning that, on average, one man in thirty will get bladder cancer at some time in his life.

Ans. : The bladder cancer is really dangerous with Hb levels falling down due to increased blood loss through the urine. This rate however has gone low as per the medicinal advances.

Ans. : The bladder is an expandable, hollow organ in the pelvis that stores urine (the body’s liquid waste) before it leaves the body during urination. The urinary tract is made up of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra and is lined with a layer of cells called the urothelium. This layer of cells is separated from the muscularis propria (bladder muscles) by the lamina propria (a thin, fibrous band).

Bladder cancer is a cancerous tumor that begins when cells in the bladder become abnormal and grow uncontrollably, forming a mass of tissue. It is described as either noninvasive or invasive. Noninvasive cancer does not spread through the lamina propria, and invasive cancer can spread through the lamina propria. Noninvasive cancer may also be called superficial cancer, although that term is being used less often because it may incorrectly imply that this type of cancer is not serious. Invasive cancer is subdivided as either cancer that only grows into the lamina propria or cancer that grows into the muscle layer.

There are three main types of bladder cancer, depending on the type of cell where the cancer begins:

Urothelial carcinoma: Urothelial carcinoma is a new term for this type of bladder cancer. It was previously called transitional cell carcinoma or TCC. Urothelial carcinoma accounts for about 90% of all bladder cancers and begins in the urothelium. A tumor of this type may be described further using one of the four subcategories explained below.

Noninvasive/superficial urothelial carcinoma: This subtype of urothelial carcinoma is limited to the urothelium and is noninvasive. It may spread into the lamina propria beneath the transitional cells. This is sometimes called invasive, though it is not the deeply invasive type that can spread to the muscle layer.

Deeply invasive urothelial carcinoma (often called invasive urothelial carcinoma). This subtype of urothelial carcinoma spreads to the bladder's muscularis propria and sometimes to the fatty layers or surrounding tissue outside the muscle.

Papillary urothelial carcinoma: Papillary is a word that describes a growth that is like a small polyp or flower-shaped cluster of cancer cells. A noninvasive papillary tumor grows into the hollow center of the bladder on a stalk. Invasive papillary urothelial carcinoma can spread into the muscle layer.

Flat urothelial carcinoma: Noninvasive flat urothelial carcinoma (also called carcinoma in situ, or CIS) grows in the layer of cells closest to the inside of the bladder and appears as flat lesions on the inside surface of the bladder. Invasive flat urothelial carcinoma may invade the deeper layers of the bladder, particularly the muscle layer.

Squamous cell carcinoma: This type accounts for about 4% of all bladder cancers and starts in squamous cells, which are thin, flat cells.

Adenocarcinoma: This type accounts for about 2% of all bladder cancers and begins in glandular cells.

All three major types of bladder cancer can metastasize (spread) beyond the bladder. If the tumor has spread into the surrounding organs (the uterus and vagina in women, the prostate in men, and/or nearby muscles), it is called locally advanced disease. The area outside of these organs where bladder cancer usually spreads is the lymph nodes in the pelvis. If it has spread into the liver, bones, lungs, or other parts of the body, these are distant metastases and the cancer may be called advanced disease.

There are other, less common types of cancer that arise in the bladder, including sarcoma (which begins in the muscle layers of the bladder) and small cell anaplastic cancer (a rare type of bladder cancer that is likely to spread to other parts of the body).

Ans. : The bladder serves as a reservoir for urine in our bodies. It permits the storage of urine for a period of time before releasing it as we urinate. It can be thought of as a muscular balloon; a flattened structure when there is no urine (immediately after a person urinates) but able to be filled to up to a liter (though this would be very uncomfortable) with urine. Normally, as the bladder nears 500 cc (1/2 of a liter), we feel the urge to urinate. The muscular structure of the bladder also helps other pelvic muscles push the urine out when it is released. The bladder is located deep in the pelvis, just above the pubic symphysis, which is a bone that can be felt in the midline on the front of our pelvis. In fact, when the bladder is over distended, it can be felt by a physician. Ureters empty urine into the bladder from the kidneys, and the urethra leads out from the bladder, emptying urine out of our bodies.

Ans. : According to Dr. Nandlal Tiwari, there are virtually no cases of bladder cancer in people under 40 and the vast majority of cases are diagnosed after the age of 55. There is a very high rate of bladder cancer in countries such as Iraq and Egypt, where it is associated with an infection of the bladder called schistomiasis, which is endemic in those countries. Some industrial chemicals used in dying are known to be linked with a high risk of bladder cancer. These chemicals are no longer in use.

Q. 6: What are the Symptoms of Bladder Cancer?

Ans. : Bladder cancer often doesn't produce signs or symptoms in its early stages.

When symptoms are present, the most common symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine.

Blood in the urine is a condition called haematuria. Blood in the urine may appear suddenly with no apparent cause, and usually there is not any pain associated with it. The urine may vary from rusty brown to deep red, depending on the amount of blood. The blood may be present some days and not others, and may disappear for weeks or months. The amount of blood is not related to the extent of the cancer. Sometimes blood clots can form and cause pain or obstruction to the flow of urine.

Other symptoms of bladder cancer include:

* Pelvic pain
* Pain during urination
* Frequent urination
* Feeling you need to urinate without being able to do so