RISK FACTORS

At the current time, it is known that persons with certain risk factors are more likely to develop cancer of the bladder. Reliable studies have identified the following risk factors

• Use of tobacco
• Exposure to chemicals in certain occupations
• Personal or family history of bladder cancer
• Treatment by chemotherapy
• Ingestion or exposure to arsenic

SYMPTOMS

• Blood in the urine
  • Visible in the form of urine coloured pink, red or black
  • Detected in a laboratory analysis of urine
• Passing coagulated blood when urinating
• Feeling a particularly urgent need to urinate
• Needing to empty the bladder more frequently than normal
• Pain when passing urine

However these symptoms may be caused by other health disorders, not only by a cancer of the bladder. Therefore if you suffer any of the above, you should consult your doctor to obtain an accurate diagnosis, as soon as possible.

DIAGNOSIS

If having any of the above symptoms suggests that you might have a cancer of the bladder, your doctor will arrange for one or more of the following tests to be done:

• Physical examination
• Analysis of urine
  • Sediment test
  • Urine culture
  • Urine cytology
• Ultrasound scan of the bladder
• Visual inspection of the bladder interior (endoscopy) by cystoscopy