Eczema Free Forever™ Eczema Free Forever™

How to spot the signs of bladder cancer and what to do next

Bladder Cancer

A little guide for you this Bladder Cancer Awareness Month, from The Urology Foundation.

In the UK, there are over 10,000 new cases of bladder cancer diagnosed every year and nearly 5,000 people die from the disease each year. It affects men more than women, meaning that it is the fourth most common cancer in men and 12th most common in women.

How to know if you might have bladder cancer

Below are some signs that could indicate bladder cancer.

  • Blood in your urine: this is the most common symptom of bladder cancer. It won’t necessarily happen every time you pee and can sometimes disappear for weeks or months. You should look out for pee that looks anywhere from rusty to deep red.
  • Pain or burning when peeing: don’t panic if this happens to you quite rarely; it could just be because you haven’t drunk enough and your urine hasn’t been diluted enough. However, if this is a regular problem for you, that’s when you have cause for concern.
  • An increased need to urinate: if you find yourself going to the bathroom a lot more than you used to, this could be another indication of bladder cancer
  • Feeling the need to pee, but without anything coming through: another indication would be that you desperately need to use the toilet, but when you go, nothing happens

Each of these symptoms could indicate bladder cancer, but please don’t panic, as these could also be symptoms for a variety of other medical conditions.

What you should do next 

Because these symptoms could mean a variety of problems, it’s important that you don’t perform a self-diagnosis. Your next step should be to see your GP.

Your GP will conduct a variety of tests that could include a urine test, a blood test, and a physical examination of your stomach and your pelvis (this might include the vagina in women, and the rectum in men).

Your GP will use these results to decide whether you should be referred to a urologist, where you’ll be able to get the treatment you need.

If you’d like to read more about bladder cancer, take a look at our Bladder Cancer page.

If you’d like to keep in touch with The Urology Foundation about urology health, you can do that right here.

The post How to spot the signs of bladder cancer and what to do next appeared first on talkhealth Blog.

talkhealth Blog

May is Bladder Cancer Awareness Month

May 2018 is Bladder Cancer Awareness Month. It is a global campaign aimed at focusing attention on bladder cancer.

Throughout the month talkhealth will be supporting the charity, Fight Bladder Cancer who are highlighting the impact of bladder cancer, promoting awareness of the symptoms and urging greater investment in research.

In Europe over 150,000 people are diagnosed with bladder cancer every year. It is the fifth biggest cancer in the western world, but receives only a tiny amount of the funding available for cancer. It is the ‘forgotten cancer’.

You can find out more about how you can help, support and fund raise throughout May and beyond on the Fight Bladder Cancer website.

 

 

 

Key Facts about Bladder Cancer

  • Bladder cancer is NOT RARE. It’s the 5th most common cancer in the Western world.
  • It can affect anyone – men and women of all ages, even children.
  • There have not been any major new treatments in over 40 years.
  • It is the only ‘top 10’ cancer where prognosis is getting worse. In Europe, 53,000 people die of bladder cancer every single year.
  • Bladder cancer gets only 1% of the cancer research spend!

The post May is Bladder Cancer Awareness Month appeared first on talkhealth Blog.

talkhealth Blog