One concerning bathroom problem is a telltale symptom of bladder cancer, one of the most common types of cancer in the UK.
Whilst blood in your pee could mean you have a kidney stone or urinary tract infection (UTI), it's a red flag for bladder cancer. Indeed, the NHS urges people experiencing the symptom to have it investigated by their GP.
May is the awareness month for the UK's 11th most common cancer and eighth most common in men. Sadly, it is diagnosed in over 10,000 Brits every year. The disease often begins in the cells lining the bladder, causing a change in your bathroom habits that are important to note.
Most common symptoms to watch out for
Blood in your urine is the most common symptom of bladder cancer, according to the NHS. The health service has shared the most typical signs of the disease to look for, Manchester Evening News reports.
Also known as the medical term haematuria, blood in pee is usually painless. It can appear as streaks of blood in your urine or as a brown colour in your pee. Notably, 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
The NHS says people should see their GP for blood in their urine even if it comes and goes.
That said, the symptom doesn't mean you definitely have bladder cancer. Some more common causes include:
- 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, according to the NHS. The tobacco in cigarettes contains cancer-causing (carcinogenic) chemicals.
The health service says more than a third of all cases of bladder cancer are estimated to have been caused by smoking. Remarkably, people who smoke may be up to four times more likely to develop bladder cancer than non-smokers.
The NHS explains: "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."
Exposure to chemicals
The second biggest risk factor is exposure to certain industrial chemicals. Studies have estimated that this may account for around 25 percent 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
There are non-manufacturing jobs linked to a greater risk of bladder cancer, like driving taxis and buses due to regular exposure to chemicals present in diesel fumes.
The link between bladder cancer and these roles were first discovered in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, strict regulations limit exposure to cancer-causing chemicals.
Even so, these chemicals are still linked to bladder cancer cases now as it can take up to 30 years after initial exposure for the disease to develop.
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
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