Bladder Cancer: Get the Facts - Urology Care Foundation

Did you know bladder cancer is the 10th most common cancer in the world? This patient education video from the Urology Care Foundation will tell you all of the facts you need about bladder cancer. For more information about bladder cancer, and to find a urologist near you, go to https:www.urologyhealth.org. #bladdercancer #urologycarefoundation #bladdersmatter

The Urology Care Foundation is powered by the experts of the American Urological Association (AUA). The Urology Care Foundation is also the official foundation of the AUA. Patient resources provided by the generous support of Johnson & Johnson.

Bladder Cancer Facts: 00:00
What is Bladder Cancer?: 01:00
Bladder Cancer Symptoms: 01:55
Testing for Bladder Cancer: 02:25
Bladder Cancer Treatments: 02:39
Bladder Cancer Clinical Trials: 03:58
Knowledge is Power: 04:15

Bladder cancer is more common as a person grows older. It is found most often in the age group of 75-84. A person’s chance of getting bladder cancer may be increased by certain risk factors. Factors in your environment and daily lifestyle habits like smoking, being exposed to chemicals in your workplace or the use of certain cancer drugs or radiation can make a person more likely to get bladder cancer.

Your doctor may ask about any family history of bladder cancer which may be important for early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease. Fortunately, healthy lifestyle changes may lower the risk of bladder cancer for people who have risk due to family history. These changes can include adding exercise, quitting smoking, and keeping a healthy weight.

So, what is bladder cancer and what are the symptoms? Let’s start with the basics. The bladder is the organ in the body that stores urine before it leaves the body. When cells of the bladder grow abnormally, bladder cancer can develop. A person with bladder cancer can have one or more tumors in their bladder.

Most bladder cancers are found in the tissue that lines the inner surface of the bladder and the bladder muscle is not involved. This type of cancer is called non-muscle invasive bladder cancer or NMIBC.

Bladder cancer can progress or worsen and grow into or through other layers of the bladder wall. This type is called muscle invasive bladder cancer or MIBC.

Over time, the cancer may grow outside the bladder into tissues close by or other organs in the body. This type of cancer is called locally advanced or metastatic bladder cancer.

While some people may have symptoms of bladder cancer, others may feel nothing at all. If you notice blood in your urine, called hematuria, have a frequent and urgent need to pass urine, pain when you pass urine, or pain in your lower back or abdomen, you should talk to your doctor about being screened for bladder cancer. If your doctor thinks you may have or be at risk for bladder cancer you may be referred to see a urologist.

Testing for bladder cancer is easier than you may think. Your urologist may take a urine sample, suggest special x-rays or scans, and may schedule a cystoscopy to look inside your bladder with a small scope.

If you are diagnosed with bladder cancer, your treatment choices will depend on your cancer stage and how much your cancer has grown. Treatment also depends on your general health and age. Your health care team will stage and grade your cancer and discuss how to manage your care, based on your risk.

If you are diagnosed with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, treatment may include:
1. A procedure where a special scope is used to look in your bladder, take tumor samples, and remove all tumor that can be seen. This is called a transurethral resection of the bladder tumor, or TURBT.
2. Placement of medication directly into your bladder through a catheter, also called intravesical therapy. This may be a medicine known as immunotherapy, which boosts the ability of your immune system to fight the cancer or chemotherapy which can limit the chance that your bladder cancer comes back.

If you are diagnosed with muscle invasive bladder cancer, treatment options may include bladder removal, also called a cystectomy, with or without chemotherapy given before or after surgery. Another option is chemotherapy with radiation after TURBT.

For any cancer, it is important to talk with your health care team about options so you can make choices together for the best outcome.

It is also of great value to talk to your doctor about clinical trials and whether they may be right for you. Clinical trials look at new ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease and could offer access to the newest treatments available that don’t require surgery.

Cancer can be a scary word. But knowledge is power and learning about all your options may help bring you and your support team comfort and peace of mind through your cancer journey.

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  Bladder Cancer