Verified By Apollo General Physician January 17, 2024
The human bladder is a hollow organ located in the lower pelvis, and it forms an essential component of the urinary system as it stores urine. Bladder cancer refers to the uncontrolled growth of cells inside the bladder. From uncontrolled growth of cancer cells, a tumour can grow, and over time, the tumour may migrate to other parts of the body. These can manifest as blood in urine, frequent urination and discomfort. Most bladder cancer cases are determined early when there is a lot of hope for treatment.
However, bladder tumours can also recur after successful treatment, even in the early stages. As such, patients with bladder cancer often need periodic follow-up testing for decades after their treatment to check the reoccurrence of this disease.
Types of Bladder Cancer
There are several forms of bladder cancer that start in the bladder lining. The sort of cells that develop into cancer determines the name of each cancer type:
1. Transitional Cell Carcinoma (TCC)
The most prevalent kind of bladder cancer is called transitional cell carcinoma, often known as urothelial carcinoma. The inner layer of the bladder’s transitional cells is where it starts. Transitional cells are those that, when the tissue is stretched, change form without breaking. Its detection entails numerous exams like cystoscopy, with tailor-made treatments based on its level and grade.
2. Squamous Cell Carcinoma
A less common form of bladder cancer arising from irritation and inflammation of the bladder is often associated with long-term infection or chronic bladder stones. Your bladder’s interior is lined with thin, flat cells called squamous cells.
3. Adenocarcinoma
Cancers in the glands lining your organs, such as the bladder, are known as adenocarcinomas. With about 1% to 2% of bladder cancer cases being this kind, it is an extremely uncommon cancer.
Bladder cancer can also be categorised as noninvasive, non-muscle invasive, or muscle invasive.
What symptoms of bladder cancer are common?
Bladder cancer typically manifests through identifiable symptoms:
Diagnosis of Bladder Cancer
Several diagnostic tests are performed by doctors to identify bladder cancer, such as:
Physical Examination: A comprehensive physical examination is performed, together with a review of the patient’s medical history, to detect any anomalies or indicators of bladder cancer.
Diagnostic Tests: To identify bladder cancer, doctors do a number of tests, such as:
Doctors may do tests to find out more information about bladder cancer if findings from cytology, cystoscopy, and urinalysis indicate that you have it. These procedures include:
Staging of Bladder Cancer
Next, doctors stage the illness based on their knowledge of the cancer. Cancer staging helps in the planning of care and the development of a possible prognosis or predicted result for the patient. There are two types of bladder cancer: Invasive (which penetrates the bladder wall and may spread to surrounding organs or lymph nodes) and Early Stage (which is limited to the bladder’s lining). The phases go from TA, which is limited to the bladder’s internal lining, to IV, which is the most intrusive. The cancer is limited to the lining of your bladder or the connective tissue directly underneath the lining during its early stages (TA, T1, or CIS), and it hasn’t yet spread to the bladder’s main muscular wall.
Invasive cancer is shown by stages II to IV:
Tumour, Node Involvement, & Metastases, or TNM, is a more advanced and favoured staging classification. Within this framework:
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