Cancer signals hidden in urine

There is no physical discomfort, but only blood in the urine. Many people think that it is because they have eaten too much "hot food" recently and have gotten "heaty". After taking some Chinese medicine, the hematuria will improve. Little did they know that this might be a bad omen of impending disaster. Painless hematuria is a dangerous sign of urinary system tumors, and ultrasound, cystoscopy, etc. should be performed as soon as possible to find out the cause. Once malignant bladder cancer is delayed in treatment, not only the bladder may be lost, but life may also be lost.

Causes of disease: exposure to chemicals + smoking

Bladder cancer can occur at any age, but the incidence rate gradually increases after the age of 40, is higher in cities than in rural areas, and is 2 to 4 times higher in men than in women. Experts say the main causes of bladder cancer are exposure to chemicals and smoking. Studies have found that long-term exposure to diesel engine exhaust can induce bladder cancer, and exposure to aromatic amine chemical raw materials is closely related to bladder cancer. Workers in pesticide factories, pharmaceutical factories, and dyeing factories are at high risk of bladder cancer.

The concentration of carcinogens in the urine of people who smoke heavily is higher, which can increase the risk of bladder cancer by 2 to 4 times. The urine of smokers irritates the bladder, and the longer you hold your urine, the more dangerous it is.

For high-risk groups, it is recommended to have a urinary system B-ultrasound and urine routine examination once a year to detect any bladder masses and hematuria that is invisible to the naked eye. If a tumor is found during B-ultrasound, a cystoscopy should be performed to confirm the diagnosis. During the procedure, part of the tumor tissue can be removed for pathological examination to determine its malignancy. CT examination can determine the depth of tumor invasion into the bladder wall and provide guidance for the next step of treatment.

Reminder: "Painless hematuria" is more terrible

Xiao Chen, a 21-year-old college student, has always been in good health, but last month his urine looked a little red for eight or nine days in a row, but he had no other discomfort. He went to the hospital for treatment, and an ultrasound examination revealed a tumor in his bladder. After surgery, it was confirmed to be an "inverted papilloma", which fortunately was benign.

Experts say that the vast majority of bladder tumors are malignant bladder cancer, and benign tumors are very rare. However, whether benign or malignant, they can manifest as painless, visible hematuria. Patients tend to take bladder cancer lightly because they do not feel any pain or other discomfort, which results in delaying the diagnosis and treatment of bladder cancer. He reminded that "painless hematuria" is actually more terrifying because it is a common symptom of bladder cancer, caused by ruptured blood vessels and bleeding in the tumor lesions. If combined with infection, it may also be accompanied by frequent urination, urgency, and pain when urinating. Domestic surveys have found that the risk of bladder cancer in people with macroscopic hematuria is 13% to 34.5%.

How to interpret hematuria?

You can see it by observing the urine with the naked eye: if you hold your urine for a short time during the day, the urine will look bright red; if you hold your urine for a long time at night, the urine will appear dark red; sometimes there will be blood clots in the urine. If the blood in the urine is in long strips, it may also be a ureteral tumor or kidney tumor.

Hematuria caused by bladder cancer is often intermittent and may sometimes subside or stop on its own. Some patients may have blood in their urine again 1 to 3 months after an episode of hematuria. Experts said: "Many patients thought they had internal heat or inflammation, and after taking Chinese medicine on their own, they found that their urine no longer contained blood. They thought that the Chinese medicine was effective and did not come to see a doctor, thus delaying the disease."