What are the symptoms of bladder cancer

Typical symptoms of bladder cancer include hematuria, bladder irritation symptoms, urinary obstruction symptoms, etc. When the late-stage tumor invades the tissues and organs around the bladder or there is pelvic lymph node metastasis, it will cause corresponding symptoms such as bladder pain, urethro-vaginal fistula, and lower limb edema. When it metastasizes to distant places, there may also be manifestations such as impaired function of the metastatic organ, bone pain, and cachexia.

1. Hematuria: Painless macroscopic hematuria is the most common symptom, which may occur in more than 80% of patients, of which 17% have severe hematuria, but 15% may only have microscopic hematuria at the beginning. Hematuria is mostly intermittent throughout the whole process, and may also manifest as initial hematuria or terminal hematuria. Some patients may discharge blood clots or necrotic tissue. The duration of hematuria and the amount of bleeding are related to the malignancy, stage, size, number, range, and morphology of the tumor, but they are not necessarily proportional. Carcinoma in situ often manifests as microscopic hematuria, while hematuria in bladder and umbilical carcinoma may not be obvious. Bladder tumors of non-urothelial origin may not have hematuria if the lesions do not penetrate the bladder mucosa.

2. Bladder irritation symptoms: frequent urination, urgent urination, and painful urination, accounting for about 10%, are related to widespread carcinoma in situ and invasive bladder cancer, especially when the lesion is located in the bladder triangle. Therefore, long-term "cystitis" that cannot be cured should be alert to the possibility of bladder cancer, especially carcinoma in situ.

3. Symptoms of urinary obstruction: Large tumors, tumors at the bladder neck, and blood clots can cause urinary difficulty or even urinary retention. Tumor infiltration of the ureteral orifice can cause upper urinary tract obstruction, resulting in low back pain, hydronephrosis, and renal impairment.