Bladder Cancer - Treatment, Symptoms & Causes

Bladder cancer occurs when malignant cells develop in the lining of this organ. The urine passes from the kidneys to the bladder through the ureters with a tube.

The bladder is a muscular ring structure is opened to make way for the urine. Adapts its size as it increases the volume of urine and when full, it sends nerve signals to the brain that transmits the need to urinate. Bladder cancer is more common in men than in women, as three more times. Reflecting its close relationship with smoking. Bladder cancer represents 2% of all cancers. It is more common in industrialized countries.

Causes: The consumption of snuff is the risk factor and the strongest single underlying cause of at least half of all cases. The snuff smoke carcinogens are absorbed from the lungs into the blood. The kidneys filter out many of these substances, incorporating them into the urine to excrete. Carcinogens, concentrated in the urine, remain long in contact with the mucous membrane lining the bladder.

It is estimated that the bladder of a smoking half a pack of cigarettes is in contact with urine contaminated with carcinogens one hundred percent of the time.

Symptoms: There is no specific symptoms of bladder cancer but most of the time it detects the presence of blood in the urine. Sometimes the blood is not in the urine but their presence can be confirmed with a routine urine microscopic examination.

Burning or pain during urination and frequent and urgent need to urinate. These symptoms are similar to those of a simple urinary infection. They may even come together these two disorders, infection and cancer. Be suspected of bladder cancer when they improve the symptoms of urinary infection after undergoing antibiotic treatment.

Treatment

Transurethral resection: uses a cystoscope inserted into the bladder through the urethra. In the end will be built a system to cut the tumor and remove it. You can also bring a system with high-energy electricity to burn cancer.

Segmental cystectomy: is extracted from the bladder where the cancer. It is used when the cancer is confined to one area of the bladder, although not a very common type of surgery.

Radical cystectomy: bladder is removed and the tissue around it. In women the uterus is removed, the ovaries, fallopian tubes, part of the vagina and urethra. In men, the prostate and the glands that produce fluids that comprise semen and sometimes also the urethra is removed.

Radiation therapy uses high energy x-radiation to destroy cancer cells. It uses a device called a linear accelerator which sends rays to the affected area only.

Intravesical therapy: used small doses of chemotherapy or other biologics that enter the interior of the bladder via a catheter. These instillations are repeated several times after transurethral resection to prevent relapses.