The bladder cancer is the 5th more frequent in France. Each year it affects nearly 20,000 people in the country. Men are particularly concerned since there are 4 times more cases at home than in women. Fortunately, when it is detected early, bladder cancer is rather good prognosis: survival at 5 years is more than 80 %. On the other hand, if the diagnosis is later, survival is around 50 %, or even only 5 % if cancer has metastasized. Hence the importance of detecting it as soon as possible. To do this, you have to know the symptoms.
The bladder cancer can precisely manifest – and therefore detect – early. The first and main symptom “is easy to spot” according to the French Urology Association. This is the presence of blood in the urine, also called hematuria. This is the first sign “in 80 to 90 % of cases”, specifies the association in a press release on the occasion of the month dedicated to awareness of bladder cancer.
-In people with bladder cancer, the presence of blood in the urine generally appears intermittently. Hematuria can occur at any time of urination, but appears more often at the end. It can be more or less abundant and noticeable. “The urine can be slightly pink, dark red or burgundy depending on the intensity of the bleeding. There is no link between the importance of bleeding and the severity of cancer,” said the ARC foundation for cancer research.
Even if the presence of blood is the main symptom, other disorders may also appear, especially when cancer is more advanced: frequent desires to urinate, burns by urinating, difficulty urinating, or even pain in the lower belly. In the event of urinary disorders, and in particular with the presence of blood in the urine, it is important to quickly consult a healthcare professional.
Different examinations (urine analyzes, imaging …) will be carried out to determine whether it is a bladder cancer or another disease. Urinary disorders and hematuria can indeed be a sign of a urinary tract infection or nephretic colic for example. The more the cancer is detected early, the more the chances of healing increases.
