Bladder Cancer Information

Answer 1

Recently, singer Andy Williams announced that he was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Bladder cancer is somewhat rare, although almost 70,000 Americans that are diagnosed with the disease each year. Bladder cancer is more common in men than in women, and usually occurs in people over the age of 50. Most people diagnosed with the cancer are in their 60's. Bladder cancer is also more common in industrialized nations than other nations. Research seems to indicate that some factors make it more likely that you will develop bladder cancer over the course of your life. These factors include poor diet, smoking, working with certain types of chemicals, or taking certain types of herbal supplements. One of the first symptoms of bladder cancer is blood in the urine. However, the blood is not always visible to the naked eye. In small amounts, blood in the urine may not even noticeably change the color of the urine. Sometimes, urine may be a pink or orange color. If there is quite a bit of blood in the urine, it may be red in color and the urine may possibly have clots in it. If you notice that your urine has changed color, you should see a health care professional as soon as possible. You may also notice other symptoms like burning during urination or you may have the urge to empty your bladder more often. However, having these symptoms does not necessarily mean that you have bladder cancer. Many people who are diagnosed with the disease do not have any symptoms at all. Symptoms of bladder cancer can also mimic other types of diseases, bladder cancer may go undetected for quite a while. The best way to detect bladder cancer is to have frequent screenings if you are at risk for the disease. It is best to talk to a health care professional in order to determine if you are at risk for the disease and need frequent screenings.