Bladder cancer is a rare form of cancer that typically starts in the tissue of the bladder. The bladder is that hollow muscular organ in your lower abdomen that stores urine. In the initial level, you can see the symptoms such as back pain and fatigue. Treatment typically depends on the type of cancer and its stage.
In case you are seeing any signs of bladder cancer, it is best to consult a urologist. You can end your research at Dr. Niren Rao. He is one of the best urologists for the bladder cancer surgery in Delhi. Also, for this blog, we have taken his insights to understand bladder cancer, its symptoms, causes, and treatment. So, let’s get started by getting an overview of bladder cancer.
What Do You Understand By Bladder Cancer?
The bladder is identified to be a relatively new form of cancer that starts in the lining of your bladder, as your bladder is a small, hollow organ that works to hold your pee (urine). Your doctor can suggest many ways to treat bladder cancer, including surgeries to remove it. However, this cancer is not easy to tackle; it may come back after treatment. Hence, the risk doesn’t get settled even after the treatment, so you should be vigilant about getting a follow-up with your doctor.
An urologist can treat early-stage bladder cancer as it can be treated before it gets spread, but generally, in 75% of cases, early-stage bladder cancers come back.
How Much Bladder Cancer Affects Your Body?
The bladder is a triangle-shaped organ between your hip bones, above your urethra, and below your kidneys. Your kidneys work to pass urine to your bladder, which has stretchy tissue called urothelium. This tissue expands as the bladder fills with urine and contracts when it gets empty. If certain cells in the tissue mutate, they can lead to bladder cancer. If not diagnosed or treated on time, this cancer can spread to nearby lymph nodes and other parts of your body, such as bones, lungs, or liver.
Types of Bladder Cancer?
There are many types of bladder cancer, and they are:
- Transitional Cell Carcinoma: Also known as urothelial bladder cancer, it begins in transitional cells on your bladder’s inner lining. It constitutes about 90% of all bladder cancers. The abnormal cells can spread from the inner lining to deeper layers or through the bladder wall into surrounding fatty tissues.
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma: It is a type of bladder cancer that affects about 5% of cases. It typically originates from thin, flat cells lining your bladder and usually occurs in those with prolonged bladder inflammation or irritation.
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma is a type of bladder cancer that affects about 5% of cases. It originates from thin, flat cells lining the bladder and often occurs in individuals with prolonged bladder inflammation or irritation.
- Adenocarcinoma: It is a rare type of bladder cancer, making up only 1 to 2% of all cases. It involves cancers in the glands lining organs, including the bladder.
- Sarcoma: Sarcomas are soft tissue that starts in bladder muscle cells
- Small Cell Carcinoma of the Bladder: This is an extremely rare type of bladder cancer, responsible for around 1% of bladder cancers.
- Noninvasive
- Non-muscle-invasive
- Muscle-invasive
How Common Is Bladder Cancer?
The average age of people who get diagnosed is 73. Overall, the chances that men will develop
bladder cancer during their lifetime is about 1 in 28. For women, the possibility is about 1 in 89.
Symptoms And Causes
Bladder cancer causes symptoms that vary from one person to another, and it may include:
- Painful urination
- Having a sudden urge to pee
- Losing control of your bladder, such as urinary incontinence
- Having to pee more than usual
- Blood in the urine can be bright red, rust-coloured, or may not be visible.
It can also show other symptoms if the cancer has spread to other parts of your body, such as:
- Unexpected weight loss
- Swollen feet
- Loss of appetite
- Bone pain or tenderness
- Fatigue
- Pain in the lower back or one side of the body
- Pain in the abdominal area
Most Common Causes of Bladder Cancer?
Though the exact reason for bladder cancer is still yet to be identified, the risk factors that can lead to bladder cancer are:
- Cigarette smoke
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation exposure
- Frequent bladder infections
- Exposure to certain chemicals
- Chronic catheter use
How Are Bladder Tumours Diagnosed?
Based on signs and symptoms, your urologist will conduct a few tests to diagnose bladder tumours, such as:
- PET Scan
- Contrast Enhanced CT Scan
- Ultrasound
- Urine Cytology
- Urine routine microscopy and culture
Treatment Procedure
In the first step, general anesthesia is given to you.
- You will be asked to be in a lithotomy position. Then, a thin tube called a resectoscope with a loop of wire at the end, through which the current runs, is introduced to the bladder.
- Your entire bladder is inspected to cut out (resected out) the small tumours to be sent for biopsy.
- After the tumour removal, a part of the normal bladder wall just below the tumour is also resected and sent for a biopsy to learn more about the tumour. In the case of a very large tumour, either a small tissue is sent for biopsy or surgery is done in the stages.
- At the end of the procedure for small tumours, intravesical chemotherapy is given to take care of any microscopic cancer cells that didn’t get removed by the surgery.
What Can You Expect After The Surgery?
- You will be asked to stay in the hospital for 1-2 days
- Intravenous activities, antibiotics, and painkillers are given
- Patients are given a light diet during their hospital stay
- Patients are discharged with the help of a catheter after successful post-operative surgery.
What is the Cost of Bladder Cancer Surgery in Delhi?
Depending on your health condition and the stage of cancer, the bladder cancer surgery cost in Delhi at an advanced facility like Delhi Urology Hospital can start from Rs. 40,000 only.
What Steps You Can Take To Reduce The Risk of Bladder Cancer?
The following lifestyle changes might help to reduce the risk of bladder cancer such as-
- Quit smoking
- Avoiding second-hand cigarette smoke
- Drinking plenty of water
- Preventing exposure to certain chemicals
Know When To Consult An Urologist?
Bladder cancer starts from the tissue of the bladder, and its treatment usually depends on the stage of your cancer. If you have noticed any early signs of bladder cancer, consult the top urologist right away.
Being the best urologist in Delhi, Dr. Niren Rao has over 20 years of experience providing successful treatments to patients dealing with bladder cancer. You can consult him by visiting Delhi Urology Hospital today!
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