Learn The BasicsThe most common symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine. However, the disease may cause other, more general symptoms, like urinary changes, repeated urinary tract infections and pain when urinating.
Blood in urine
Blood in urine, also known as hematuria, is caused by bladder cancer, may result in the urine looking bright red or dark brown.
In some cases, the urine may appear normal, and blood may only be detected through a laboratory test.
Blood in urine in bladder cancer is caused by the blood vessels within the tumor rupturing and bleeding, causing blood to mix with the urine.
Blood in urine is more likely to be caused by bladder cancer in men than in women.
Urinary changes
Bladder cancer may also cause urinary changes, like the urge to urinate more often than usual, pain or a burning sensation during urination, a sudden urge to urinate, the inability to urinate, a weak urinary stream or having to urinate many times during the night.
As these symptoms may also be caused by other conditions, including urinary tract infections, bladder or kidney stones, an overactive bladder or an enlarged prostate, they are not a definite sign of bladder cancer.
Repeated urinary tract infections
The signs and symptoms of urinary tract infections and bladder cancer often overlap, making it difficult to distinguish between the two diseases.
There may also be a link between repeated urinary tract infections and bladder cancer, with the first being a sign of the latter.
This is because bladder cancer can sometimes be caused by a parasitic infection called schistosomiasis or bilharzia. This parasite leads to inflammation in the bladder, which damages the urothelial cells or the cells that line the inside of the bladder, and from which bladder cancer usually starts.
Following urothelial cell damage, the body will try to replace them to heal itself. Repeated cell division to replace the damaged urothelial cells creates a risk of a mutation occurring at each cell division, increasing the risk of bladder cancer.
The possible link between repeated urinary tract infections and bladder cancer can also explain why the latter is more common in some parts of the world, like Africa and Asia, where schistosomiasis is common.
Pain
Another sign of bladder cancer may be pain. This can occur either during urination or in the lower back, especially on one side, and especially at the later stages of bladder cancer.
Once again, pain during urination or in the lower back are not a definite sign of bladder cancer but should be checked by a doctor.
Symptoms of advanced bladder cancer
Other, more general symptoms of bladder cancer, especially in its advanced stages, may include an inability to urinate altogether, unintentional weight loss, back or abdominal pain, achy bones and feeling tired or generally unwell.
It is important to note that these signs are also not specific to bladder cancer and may be caused by other conditions.