What are the sequelae of radiotherapy for bladder cancer

Bladder cancer is a common malignant tumor among urinary system diseases. The occurrence of this disease is mostly related to exposure to carcinogens. After the patient is ill, not only will there be some obvious symptoms, but in severe cases, it will also endanger life. Therefore, surgery and radiotherapy should be used in time for treatment. However, after radiotherapy, it is easy to cause some sequelae. Therefore, prevention and treatment should also be done during treatment. So what are the sequelae of radiotherapy for bladder cancer?

1. Bladder reaction. This is the first symptom that bladder cancer patients will experience after radiotherapy. It is mainly characterized by varying degrees of urgency, frequency, and hematuria. If the patient's symptoms are relatively mild, they will disappear quickly after regular treatment. However, if the disease is more serious, there may even be manifestations such as radiation cystitis, bladder fibrosis, and contracture of the bladder.

2. Rectal reaction. Since the rectum is located relatively close to the bladder, although it is helpful to protect the rectum during radiotherapy, this reaction still often occurs. Clinically, it is mainly manifested by increased frequency of bowel movements and blood in the stool. If the symptoms are mild, they will recover after treatment, but if the patient is in a serious condition, symptoms such as rectal stenosis and perforation may also occur.

3. Small intestine reaction. Since the small intestine is located in the pelvis, it is easy to be damaged after radiotherapy. This sequelae will be more obvious in patients who have undergone radical cystectomy. Its main symptoms include intestinal adhesion, intestinal obstruction and stenosis.

4. Urinary tract infection. Because the urinary tract of bladder cancer patients is generally not very smooth during radiotherapy, it is very easy to have sequelae of urinary tract infection after radiotherapy. The symptoms mainly manifest as urgency, pain and frequent urination.

Through the above understanding of the sequelae of radiotherapy for bladder cancer, we can find that these sequelae have a great impact on the patient's body after they occur. Therefore, prevention and treatment should be done during radiotherapy. Not only should we pay attention to whether the urinary tract is unobstructed and do anti-inflammatory treatment in time, but we should also consider the possibility of avoiding these sequelae as much as possible, so as to avoid serious sequelae as much as possible.