Bladder cancer is any type of malignant growths in the urinary bladder. In this disease, the abnormal cells increase in number without the bladder control. Bladder is the muscular, hollow organ that is located in the pelvis and stores urine. The common type of bladder cancer starts growing around the lining inside the bladder and is known as transitional cell carcinoma. Because of the uncontrolled nature, they advance on neighboring tissues. Also, these tumors travel to other remote organs through bloodstream. This process of spreading and invading is called metastasis.

Causes of Bladder Cancer.

There is no exact reason for bladder cancer and now it has been found that tobacco smoking is the primary cause for this type of cancer. Smoking is the major cause for cancer in men and a large proportion in women. Smokers have greater chances of getting bladder cancer than non-smokers. Next causes could be chemical exposures during work. People who work with certain chemical industries or chemical develop the chances for this cancer.

Organic chemicals, especially aromatic amines are highly linked with bladder cancer. This chemical is highly used in the dye industry. Other chemical industries linked with this type of cancer are rubber processing, textiles, leather processing, paints, printing, and hair coloring. This can be prevented by following strict workplace measures. People who eat large quantity of animal fats and fried meats are at higher risks of getting this cancer. The herb aristolochia fangchi that is used for weight loss is believed to cause kidney failure and bladder cancer. Research has shown that this herb contains chemicals that cause cancer.

Other factors include age, race, birth defects, chronic bladder inflammation and history of cancer.

The common symptoms of bladder cancer include:

Blood in the urine, this may be sometime visible to naked eye or only detected through microscope.

Burning sensation or pain during urination without any trace of urinary tract infection.

Having the urge to urinate more often or frequent urination.

All these signs and symptoms are not very specific to this cancer and sometimes these symptoms are due to any cystitis infections and prostate infections.

Diagnosis.

The bladder cancer is diagnosed by biopsy during cystoscopy. Positive result in the cytology is the sure indication for bladder cancer. Today, urine bound markers are used to diagnose this type of cancer. Urine bound markers are very sensitive, but not as accurate as urine cytology. The suspected growth is biopsied and further analyzed for pathologic analysis.

In pathological analysis, most of the bladder cancer is transitional cell carcinoma. The other least occurring cancers are adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma, and sarcoma.

The various stages in the type of cancer are classified according to their size, location, and spread of cancer.

Treatment.

The treatment is given to this type of cancer based on how deep the tumor is grown on the wall. Superficial cancer can be shaved off using electrocautery equipment that is attached to the cystoscope. Superficial tumors can also be treated and prevented by immunotherapy by means of BCG instillation. Sometimes, chemotherapy instillations like valrubicin are also used to treat BCG-refractory.

Untreated tumors later penetrate into the urinary bladder muscular wall. The tumor that has penetrated inside the wall requires radical surgery where whole bladder or part of it is removed and the urine stream is deviated. Sometimes, substitute bladder is created by the intestinal tissue, but this done based on patient age, patient preference, site of the disease, and renal function.

Also, the combination of chemotherapy and radiation are used to treat invasive disease.

Always consult your doctor before using this information.

This Article is nutritional in nature and is not to be construed as medical advice.

David Cowley has created numerous articles about the relationship between diseases and vitamins. For other articles on Allergies click on Articles on Allergies and for other articles click on Other Articles.

Prostate cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells shape in the tissues of the prostate. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It is just about the size of a walnut and encircles part of the urethra (the tube that empties urine from the bladder). The prostate gland creates fluid that makes up part of the semen.

Prostate cancer is discovered primarily in older men. As men age, the prostate might grow and block the urethra or bladder. This could lead to trouble in urination or could slow down sexual function. The condition is named benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and even if it is not cancer, surgery might be wanted to correct it. Its symptoms or of other problems in the prostate could be similar to symptoms of cancer of prostate.

A latest study found that thirty percent of a sample of seniors in receipt of Medicare assistances who had undergone a radical prostatectomy reported urinary incontinence. Over forty-seven percent of all men responding to one survey reported dripping urine on a daily basis; and to manage wetness, thirty-one percent of the respondents made use of pads or clamps. Other studies have given an account that stress urinary incontinence was present in eight percent of men who undertaken a radical retropubic prostatectomy, with six percent wearing one or fewer pads a day.

Incontinence after prostate surgery could be caused by stress, urge or mixed urinary incontinence. In men, stress incontinence could happen in consequence of intrinsic urethral sphincter deficiency. The sphincter is an interwoven band of striated muscle placed at the base of the bladder (the bladder outlet) and the proximal piece of the urethra.

A number of doctors have discovered that patients who put into practice pelvic muscle (Kegel) exercises before prostate surgery come into contact with a more rapid return to bladder control. Bringing together pelvic muscle exercise with bladder retraining for men with both stress and urge urinary incontinence could reduce urine leakage, urine urgency and frequency.

Men who come into contact with incontinence after prostate surgery need to know they are not alone and that there might be some treatments that could make the incontinence under control.

If you want to get some excellent resources on PROSTATE CANCER, please visit my site on 1st-in-ProstateCancer

There are two primary bladder cancer symptoms - a drastic change in urination habits or patterns, and blood in the urine. Unfortunately, many instances of this potentially deadly disease are still unrecognized in people's lives.

Every year, over 54,000 cases of bladder cancer are diagnosed in America. And annually, over 12,000 people die from it. While the five-year survival rate is doing well at over 80%, that number could be higher if more instances of the disease were noticed and addressed early.

This is why understanding and detecting the symptoms is so critical. To learn more about the different symptoms associated with the disease, along with possible risk factors - keep reading.

Symptoms of Bladder Cancer

Bloody Urine: The primary symptom is blood in the urine. While bloody urine can often be an indicator of other bladder problems (kidney cancer, kidney stones, bladder infections), it's almost always exhibited in patients diagnosed with bladder cancer.

Urination Patterns: Most people diagnosed complain of a frequent urge to pee, possible urinary incontinence and difficulty making it through the night without having to use the bathroom multiple times. Unfortunately, most patients with bladder cancer are older and don't recognize this symptom as a potential indicator of a more serious problem.

Risk Factors for Bladder Cancer

Smoking: Like many cancers, smoking tobacco products is a major cause. In fact, smokers are twice as likely to develop the disease. Among men, smoking is the cause of 50% of bladder cancer deaths. In women, that number drops to 30%.

The carcinogens in cigarettes make their way into the blood stream and finally through the bladder and into the urine, which is why they're such a major cause of bladder cancer.

Occupational Exposure: Industrial chemicals known as aromatic amines, like beta-napthylamine and benzidine which are sometimes used in the dye industry, can be a contributing factor for bladder cancer.

Other organic chemicals, like those used in rubber plants, leather manufacturers, fabrics and textiles and printing firms, are also a higher risk factor for the disease.

Race: Bladder cancer is typically more common in Caucasians than other races.

Age: The risk for developing it increases with age. The average age for those diagnosed with the disease is around 68 years. Meanwhile, less than 1% of bladder cancer patients are age 39 and under.

Chronic Bladder Problems: Patients who have a long-term history of kidney stones, urinary infections, bladder stones or other forms of chronic bladder irritation may be at an increased risk for developing it.

If you have been exposed to or belong to any of the above risk factors or categories, it's critical that you understand and watch for bladder cancer symptoms like blood in the urine or sudden changes in your urination habits.

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