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Main Page | Risk Factors | Reducing Your Risk | Screening | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment Overview | Chemotherapy | Radiation Therapy | Surgical Procedures | Other Treatments | Lifestyle Changes | Living With Bladder Cancer | Talking to Your Doctor | Resource Guide Symptoms of Bladder CancerBladder cancer can be a "silent" disease: one that does not have many symptoms. If you experience any of these symptoms do not assume it is due to cancer. Most of these symptoms may be caused by other, less serious health conditions. If you experience any one of them, see your physician. Bloody urine � this is the most common early symptom of bladder cancer. Instead of being clear yellow, the urine may appear brown, rust colored or it may have visible clots in it. Increased frequency of urination � urinary symptoms that often accompany bladder cancer include the following:
Sensation of a mass in the abdomen � as a bladder tumor grows, you may become aware of the presence of a mass. Pain in the abdomen and/or back � as a bladder tumor grows and begins to put pressure on nearby nerves and organs, you may begin to feel some pain in your abdomen, back, or side. Fever � fever and chills may occur if the cancer has become very advanced. Decreased appetite and unintended weight loss - these are also late symptoms of cancer, often suggesting that the cancer has spread beyond the bladder. Intense fatigue, abnormally low energy � these feelings may occur as the cancer becomes more widespread and serious. Swelling in your feet and legs � an enlarging bladder tumor may put pressure on the veins that return blood to your heart, causing swelling in your feet and/or legs. Bone pain � this is usually a relatively late symptom of bladder cancer, occurring when bladder cancer has spread through the body to involve the bones. SOURCES:Campell�s Urology, 8th ed. New York: Elsevier Science; 2002: 2732-2765. Cecil Textbook of Medicine. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company; 2002: 633-634. Conn�s Current Therapy, 54th ed. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company; 2002: 720-721. What you need to know about bladder cancer. National Cancer Institute Web site. Last reviewed February 2003 by HealthGate Medical Review Board All EBSCO Publishing consumer health and medical information found on this site is accredited by URAC. URAC's Health Web Site Accreditation Program requires compliance with 53 rigorous standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audits. Previous | Next | � |
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