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Bladder cancer is one of the most insidious cancers. A malignant tumor can go unnoticed in the bladder for years. A urologist explains how you can recognize the disease early.
People in this country are diagnosed with bladder cancer more than 29,000 times a year. It is treacherous that the tumor causes almost no clear symptoms in the early stages. Pain also occurs rarely.
What is bladder cancer? Bladder cancer, a so-called bladder carcinoma, is a malignant tumor in the bladder.
Symptoms: watch out for blood in the urine
What symptoms of bladder cancer can still be recognized? Christian Wülfing, Chief Urology Physician at Asklepios Klinik Altona. “Blood is more common in urine,” said the press spokesman for the German Society for Urology.
Those affected should always consult a doctor if the urine turns red or brown. Painful urination can also be a sign of bladder cancer. In the advanced stage of cancer, there is usually pain in the lower abdomen and kidney area.
An early detection test like the “NMP22” urine test, which is supposed to detect a tumor-forming substance in a urine sample, has so far not been very reliable, according to the urologist.
Causes: Smoking is the number one risk factor
It is still unclear why tumors develop in the bladder and urinary tract. Scientific studies have shown some factors that increase the risk of developing bladder cancer, writes German Cancer Aid in your guide.
The biggest risk factor for bladder cancer is smoking “clearly,” says Professor Dr. Wülfing. Passive smoking also increases the risk, because carcinogens from cigarette smoke leak out of the blood through the kidney and enter the bladder with urine, where they damage the mucous membrane. Experts estimate that about 30 to 70 percent of all bladder cancers can be attributed to smoking.
Chemicals that trigger bladder cancer.
In some occupational activities, employees are exposed to certain chemicals such as aromatic amines and aniline dyes, which can increase the risk of bladder cancer. According to the German Cancer Aid, the following are at risk:
- Chemical worker
- Painter and painter
- Car mechanic
- Rubber Processing Employees
- Employed in the steel and leather industry.
- Hairdressers
- Dental technician
In these industries, bladder cancer is recognized as an occupational disease. Today there are better safety precautions for handling such substances in the workplace. But even in everyday life, many people come into contact with carcinogens. Chemical hair dyes are suspected to increase the risk of bladder cancer.
Other risk factors for bladder cancer are:
- chronic cystitis
- Bladder stones and permanent catheters
- Take pain relievers with the active ingredient phenacetin
- Infectious diseases like schistosomiasis that persist for many years.
Men are more likely to develop bladder cancer
According to the German Cancer Aid, men get sick more than twice as often Bladder cancer than women This is because men smoke more. But the number of new cases in women is increasing, “probably because the proportion of women who smoke has also increased in the last 30 to 40 years,” explains the urologist.
Treatment depends on the stage of the tumor.
The doctor can determine if there is suspicion of bladder cancer by testing urine, ultrasound and touch examinations, bladder examination, and an X-ray contrast screen of the kidneys and urinary tract. Most bladder tumors are recognized at a stage when they are still growing on the surface and can be removed surgically.
“Typically, an endoscopic operation is performed, in which the bladder reflex is used to ‘peel off’ the tumor tissue,” says Professor Dr. Wülfing. This method is also called transurethral bladder tumor resection – TURB To abreviate.
Even with one Chemotherapy or radiation therapy to the urinary bladder Cancer to be treated at an early stage. If it is already advanced, the urinary bladder should be removed. Then, patients receive a bladder replacement and a urostomy is performed. A urostomy is an artificial discharge of urine through the abdominal wall, through which urine is excreted.
If bladder cancer is recognized late, it can affect muscle and lymph tissue. If this is the case, removing the bladder can no longer help and the cancer ends fatally. In Germany, around 4,000 people die each year from a bladder tumor.
Important note: The information is not in any way a substitute for the professional advice or treatment of trained and recognized physicians. The content of t-online.de cannot and should not be used to independently diagnose or initiate treatment.
