Caused by actions as simple as smoking, the health service has shared the most obvious symptoms to look for so people can seek help if needed.
A burning sensation when passing urine can be one symptom (Image: Alamy/PA)
One of the most common types of cancer in the UK has plenty of symptoms that can be mistaken for other causes, such as urinary tract infections, kidney infections and excruciating kidney stones.
May marks the start of bladder cancer awareness month, an illness which is the eleventh most common type of cancer in the UK, with over 10,000 Brits diagnosed every year according to the NHS. It is also the eight most common cancer in men, says Cancer Research UK.
Caused by actions as simple as smoking, the health service has shared the most obvious symptoms to look for so people can seek help if needed.
Most common symptoms to watch out for
Blood in your urine is the most common symptom of bladder cancer, says the NHS.
The medical name for blood in your urine is haematuria and it’s usually painless. You may notice streaks of blood in your urine or the blood may turn your urine brown. The blood isn’t always noticeable and it may come and go.
Less common symptoms of bladder cancer include:
- a need to urinate on a more frequent basis
- sudden urges to urinate
- a burning sensation when passing urine
If bladder cancer reaches an advanced stage and has spread, symptoms can include:
- pelvic pain
- bone pain
- unintentional weight loss
- swelling of the legs
When to seek medical advice
If you have blood in your urine – even if it comes and goes – you should visit your GP, so the cause can be investigated.
Having blood in your urine doesn’t mean you definitely have bladder cancer. There are other, more common, causes including:
- a urinary tract infections (UTIs), such as cystitis
- a kidney infection
- kidney stones
- non-gonococcal urethritis
- an enlarged prostate gland, in men
What causes bladder cancer
Bladder cancer is caused by changes to the cells of the bladder. It’s often linked with exposure to certain chemicals, but the cause isn’t always known.
Smoking
Smoking is the single biggest risk factor for bladder cancer. This is because tobacco contains cancer-causing (carcinogenic) chemicals.
If you smoke for many years, these chemicals pass into your bloodstream and are filtered by the kidneys into your urine. The bladder is repeatedly exposed to these harmful chemicals, as it acts as a store for urine. This can cause changes to the cells of the bladder lining, which may lead to bladder cancer.
It’s estimated that more than a third of all cases of bladder cancer are caused by smoking. People who smoke may be up to 4 times more likely to develop bladder cancer than non-smokers.
Exposure to chemicals
Exposure to certain industrial chemicals is the second biggest risk factor. Previous studies have estimated that this may account for around 25% of cases.
Chemicals known to increase the risk of bladder cancer include:
- aniline dyes
- 2-Naphthylamine
- 4-Aminobiphenyl
- xenylamine
- benzidine
- o-toluidine
Occupations linked to an increased risk of bladder cancer are manufacturing jobs involving:
- dyes
- textiles
- rubbers
- paints
- plastics
- leather tanning
Some non-manufacturing jobs have also been linked to an increased risk of bladder cancer. These include taxi or bus drivers, as a result of their regular exposure to the chemicals present in diesel fumes.
The link between bladder cancer and these types of occupations was discovered in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, strict regulations limit exposure to cancer-causing chemicals.
Other risk factors
Other factors that can increase your risk of bladder cancer include:
- radiotherapy to treat previous cancers near the bladder, such as bowel cancer
- previous treatment with certain chemotherapy medications, such as cyclophosphamide and cisplatin
- having certain treatments for type 2 diabetes
- having a tube in your bladder (an indwelling catheter) for a long time, because you have nerve damage that has resulted in paralysis
- long-term or repeated urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- long-term bladder stones
- an untreated infection called schistosomiasis (bilharzia), which is caused by a parasite that lives in fresh water – this is very rare in the UK
Source: Manchester Evening News
