Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer is any of several types of cancer arising from the epithelial lining of the urinary bladder, a balloon-shaped organ in your pelvic area that stores urine. Tobacco smoking is the main known contributor to urinary bladder cancer. Carcinogens such as nitrosamines are concentrated and excreted in the urine, thereby exposing them to the cells lining the urinary tract. This exposure is prolonged in the bladder (where 95% of urothelial carcinomas arise) but malignant transformation can arise anywhere in the urinary tract, from the renal calyx to the urethral meatus.

Symptoms: The presence of large numbers of abnormal cells in the bone marrow can inhibit the marrow from producing normal healthy blood cells. Symptoms caused by bone marrow failure include paleness, tiredness, shortness of breath, excessive bleeding, and increased susceptibility to infections. Cancer cells can also infiltrate organs such as the lymph nodes, spleen, and liver leading to swelling.

Treatment: Bladder cancer can be treated by surgery by removing tumor, tumor and a small portion of the bladder, biological therapy, removing the entire bladder, Chemotherapy, radiation therapy. In Singapore bladder cancer is the tenth most common cancer in men.

This cancer usually occurs after the age of 40 years and is seen mostly in the 50 to 70 years age group. It is about 5 times more common in men than in women. The American Cancer Society is committed to research on bladder cancer. Important research into bladder cancer is being done right now in many university hospitals, medical centers and other institutions around the world.