Bladder cancer symptoms and diagnosis
The primary symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine. No pain is observed in this case. This symptom does not always mean exactly oncological problems, but you cannot hesitate and you need to urgently sign up for a diagnosis with a urologist.
If the tumor has already grown deep into the bladder wall, then it can cause compression of the ureters. This will lead to the development of kidney failure. In this case, the patient may begin to experience pain in the lumbar region. But correct diagnosis is important here. Similar symptoms are seen in kidney cancer.
With the progression of the disease and the absence of proper treatment, others join the symptoms described above:
- difficult, often painful urination;
- pain in the lower abdomen that radiates to the perineum;
- urge to urinate.
Examination of the patient begins with examination and palpation. However, bladder tumors are usually not palpable. Next, a number of laboratory tests are assigned:
- urinalysis for the presence of red blood cells;
- bacteriological culture, necessary to exclude infection in the urinary tract;
- biochemical blood test showing the level of nitrogenous bases;
- tumor markers.
Instrumental diagnostics is required. The patient needs to undergo ultrasound, MRI, MSCT, cystoscopy. Ultrasound examination can detect tumors larger than 1 cm. Magnetic tomography is necessary to determine the stage of the disease and the involvement of the lymph nodes. During cystoscopy, tumor particles can be taken for biopsy. This allows you to determine the nature of the neoplasm. If there is a suspicion of bone metastases, then an additional radiological examination is performed.
Treatment
The choice of treatment method depends on the stage of the disease; it is determined by the size of the tumor, the degree of its invasion into the bladder membrane, damage to the internal organs and the lymphatic system.
Treatment for bladder cancer may include surgery, drug therapy, and radiation therapy. The individual treatment regimen depends on the stage of the disease.
If the tumor does not affect the muscle layer and is "superficial", then transurethral resection is used. It is performed using a minimally invasive endoscopic method. After the procedure, the patient is prescribed a course of chemotherapy or immunotherapy. This is necessary to reduce the risk of disease recurrence.
If the tumor has penetrated into the muscle layer, then a course of radiation therapy is prescribed or a more radical surgical intervention is performed. The bladder is removed and an analogue from the colon segment is created to replace it.
External beam radiation therapy and chemotherapy can be an adjunct to treatment.
