Beware of bladder cancer with painless hematuria!
Bladder cancer is one of the most common tumors in urology in China, and the incidence rate has shown an increasing trend in recent years. The incidence rate of male bladder cancer in China ranks the seventh among systemic malignant tumors, which is about 11/100,000, and the male to female ratio is 3:1.
The occurrence of bladder cancer is a complex, multi-factorial and multi-stage pathological change process, which has both intrinsic genetic factors and extrinsic environmental factors. Smoking and long-term exposure to industrial chemical products are risk factors for the development of bladder cancer. 30%-50% of bladder cancer patients have a history of smoking. Smoking can increase the risk rate of bladder cancer by 2-4 times, and the risk is proportional to the intensity and duration of smoking. 20% of bladder cancer is caused by occupational factors. Long-term exposure to industrial chemical products is the earliest known risk factor for bladder cancer, and about 20% of bladder cancer is caused by occupational factors, such as printing and dyeing, rubber chemicals, paints, fuel exhaust, etc. In recent years, air pollution has become increasingly serious, and people’s lack of attention to diet and various food additives are also risk factors for the development of bladder cancer.
Therefore, in order to reduce the incidence of bladder cancer, it is necessary to quit smoking, avoid exposure to chemical substances such as paints, and reduce the consumption of food additives and blended drinks. At the same time, it is also necessary to ensure that the daily water intake is more than 2000ml and that the diet includes more fresh vegetables and fruits.
Common symptoms – hematuria. Hematuria is the most common symptom of bladder cancer, and it is often the hematuria of the naked eye without pain, or in some patients, the increase of red blood cells under the microscope. Once this occurs, doctors usually have to give patients further tests such as ultrasound, cystoscopy, etc. After the diagnosis is confirmed, the doctor will usually give a tumor stage, which is also known as early or late stage of cancer. Bladder cancer is roughly divided into two categories: superficial bladder cancer and muscle invasive bladder cancer, of which superficial bladder cancer accounts for about 70%, and these patients can usually achieve good results through a small minimally invasive surgery; while patients whose tumors invade the muscle layer of the bladder are relatively more complicated to treat and the surgery is larger. In general, the treatment effect of bladder cancer is satisfactory, especially for early superficial bladder cancer, and the prognosis is usually good as long as reasonable and standardized treatment is provided. However, bladder cancer has a high recurrence rate, with some types of bladder cancer having a recurrence rate as high as about 60%. Therefore, in order to reduce recurrence after surgery, doctors will instill some drugs into the patient’s bladder regularly.
Treatment of tumors requires long-term follow-up, which means regular visits to the hospital for review, and this is also true for bladder cancer. The doctor will give a detailed schedule of regular follow-ups when the patient is discharged from the hospital. For the first 3 years after surgery, patients usually need to visit the hospital every 3 months – 6 months for follow-ups.