Bladder cancer is the most common malignant tumor in the urinary system, and its incidence is regional and racial, with high incidence in the United States and Western Europe and low incidence in Japan. The incidence of bladder cancer has been increasing in recent years, and the latest statistics show that in 2004, there were 64,240 new cases in the United States, ranking fourth in incidence of male tumors and tenth in female incidence; there were 12,710 deaths. According to the statistics of Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, bladder cancer takes the first place in urological tumors.
Smoking and occupational exposure to aromatic amines are likely to be important factors in addressing the disease. The most common symptoms include hematuria, pyuria, dyspareunia, burning sensation and urinary frequency. Pain may occur in the setting of co-infection or when the lesion invades deeper muscular layers. A mass may be detected on double palpation. Microscopic hematuria may be the earliest sign of bladder cancer. Diagnosis can be made by cystoscopy and transurethral resection specimen biopsy. Positive urine cytology is also one of the ways to confirm the diagnosis. CT scan, ultrasonography and MR examination of the pelvis can help to stage the lesion.
According to the degree of bladder cancer lesion infiltration, treatment and prognosis, bladder cancer can be divided into three categories: non-infiltrative, infiltrative and metastatic lesions, and their treatment measures are obviously different.
Non-invasive lesions: bladder preserving treatment is performed.
Invasive lesions: the standard treatment is radical cystectomy.
Metastatic lesions: chemotherapy and radiotherapy are the mainstay.