Bladder, medical term of urinary bladder, is an important organ in our bodies’ urinary tract. The function of bladder basically and simply is to store the urine coming from kidneys and to let it out deliberately at appropriate intervals, namely, to urinate.

What is bladder cancer?

Bladder cancer is a type of cancer characterized as extreme, uncontrolled cell reproduction taking the place of normal cells of organ as it may happen in any organ in the body.

How common is the bladder cancer in society? Who are at risk?

Bladder cancer is the second most frequent cancer type seen in urinary tract called as genitourinary tract. While it used to be found in men more frequently than women in the past, today rate of incidence in women has increased as the smoking rate of women approaches to the men’s rate. Although bladder cancer is generally diagnosed in the average age of 65, this age decreases as the occupational exposures increase.

What are the factors thought to contribute the development of bladder cancer?

When examining the proven causes of bladder cancer, undoubtedly the first factor is smoking. Bladder cancer development is proved to be doubled in smoking individuals and this development is found to be directly affected by the amount of cigarettes used and the exposure time. Certain occupational exposures along with smoking can establish an tendency to development of bladder cancer. Workers who work in painting, rubber, petrol, leather and printing jobs takes the first place among these. Apart from these, a genetic basis is thought to exist in bladder cancer and an important progress has been and is shown in this direction. In addition, there are evidences with respect to the influence of HPV, which is a sexually transmitted virus, on bladder cancer.

What is the importance of bladder cancer?

The hypothesis which is applicable for many cancer types that when there is an early diagnosis, the disease is treatable is more applicable for bladder cancer. The full treatment is provided substantially with the belowmentioned treatments for bladder cancer .

What are the first symptoms in bladder cancer patient?

The first symptom which is very typical and mostly single is painless blood clots in urine (generally described as jelly by patients). Patients are generally consult a doctor with this complaint because this symptom is generally frightening for the patients. Additionally, there may complaints such as frequent urination, painful urination and urgent need of urination. Along with these, bladder cancer can be determined when blood cells are seen in urine analysis or while performing an ultrasonography in abdomen. Finally, if disease is progressed and spread, lung complaints such as bone pains, cough, phlegm or belly pain can be seen.

Which department to apply when suspected a bladder cancer?

The patients having one or more aforementioned complaints should urgently apply to an Urologist. Particularly women patients wrongfully apply to gynecologist.

Which assessments are performed and which tests are required by urologist for a patient examined for a suspected bladder cancer? Urologist must take a detailed patient history while examining the patient with a suspected bladder cancer. It is important to investigate patient’s age, gender, habit of smoking, if available, occupational exposure, family history of bladder or other cancer cases. Then a simple but efficient urine analysis called as full urine analysis is performed. Here, seeing blood cells in urine is an important situation to lay emphasis on. Concomitantly, an ultrasonography examination and an intravenous pyelography, colloquially known as “fatty kidney film”, may be performed. In conclusion of all these evaluations, if a symptom which is called as filling defect and very typical in bladder cancer  is determined in radiological evaluations after excluding other diseases in which blood may be seen in urine, then cystoscopy must be performed.