1. Reduce Your Risk
There are some risk factors for developing bladder cancer that are out of our control. Men, those over the age of 40 and Caucasians are more likely to develop the disease. However, researchers have identified other risk factors we can control to mitigate our risk of developing bladder cancer. The biggest modifiable risk is smoking cigarettes. Smokers have at least twice the risk of nonsmokers of developing bladder cancer. Workers in certain industries, such as trucking, metalworking and printing, also have an increased risk of getting bladder cancer. If you have risk factors for bladder cancer, ask your doctor about tests you can undergo to check for signs of the disease.
2. Saccharine is Still Sweet
You may remember the saccharine controversy of the early 1970s, which linked saccharine consumption to an increased risk of cancer risk. You may have even noticed an ominous warning posted on artificial-sweetener labels noting the link between cancer and saccharine in laboratory animals. Although early studies suggested saccharine consumption caused bladder cancer in mice, subsequent studies never proved a link between this artificial sweetener and an increased risk of cancer in humans.
3. Is it Bladder Cancer or Something Else?
The signs of bladder cancer can mimic other non-cancerous problems, such as bladder infections or bladder stones. If you experience pain when urinating or your urine appears rusty or red in color, see a doctor. Feeling the urge to urinate frequently can also indicate bladder cancer. If the doctor rules out infection or other problems, he may perform a biopsy to examine some tissue from the abnormal area under a microscope. The doctor can remove tissue using a cystoscope, which is a thin tube the doctor inserts while the patient is sedated.
4. The Immune System Can Kill Cancer
Patients with bladder cancer may qualify to receive a novel biological therapy called bacillus Calmette-Guerin, or BCG. Biological treatments for cancer work by stimulating the immune system to fight the cancer. Once a week, a doctor puts a solution containing BCG directly into the bladder, where the medicine may stimulate B cells, T cells and natural killer cells in the immune system to stop or control the growth of bladder cancer cells.
5. Life After Bladder Removal
It's common for patients to have the entire bladder removed as a treatment for bladder cancer. This means patients sometimes, but not always, lose the ability to urinate as they did before. However, patients can still care for themselves and lead an independent lifestyle. The doctor can make a new internal storage pouch for urine out of a piece of the small intestine. If the doctor connects the new pouch to the urethra, the person may urinate as before. If the storage pouch connects to an opening in the abdomen, the patient drains the urine with a catheter.
