Bladder cancer, a type of cancer that forms in the organ that stores urine, causes over 14,000 deaths in the United States every year, and an addition 70,000 people receive a diagnosis of bladder cancer each year, according to information posted in 2010 by the National Cancer Institute. Most bladder cancers begin in the lining of the bladder, but other types form in different cells located in the bladder. A variety of symptoms can alert someone with cancer that they have bladder cancer.
Blood in the Urine
The presence of blood in the urine, also called hematuria, remains the single most common effect of bladder cancer, according to Cornell University Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College. Abnormal cells located in the bladder shed into the urine, and abnormal blood vessels may break and issue small amounts of blood into the bladder. MayoClinic.com reports that this condition may be visible to the naked eye, called gross hematuria, or visible only when tested, called microscopic hematuria. Urine may appear pink, red or brown if hematuria from bladder cancer occurs.
Painful Urination
Painful urination may occur as an effect of bladder cancer, notes The National Cancer Institute. Painful urination, also called dysuria, presents as a burning or discomfort while voiding urine, sometimes experienced in the urethra, according to MayoClinic.com. Some people may mistake painful urination for a common urinary tract infection, but when combined with blood in the urine and other symptoms, it may indicate the presence of bladder cancer.
Frequent Urination
Bladder cancer can also result in frequent urination and a feeling of needing to urinate often, notes the Cornell University Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College website. Cancerous tumors may form on the lining of the bladder wall, which may cause bladder sensitivities. These sensitivities result in something called irritative voiding symptoms, which includes the frequent urge to urinate. Urology San Antonio reports that these symptoms more commonly affect those with bladder cancers that have not spread to other areas of the body.
