Bladder cancer symptoms include blood in urine, pain with urination, increased frequency, and urgency to urinate. Tumor growth can cause incomplete emptying, lower back pain, and metastasis can cause pain and swelling in other areas.
A variety of bladder cancer symptoms are possible in affected patients. Classically, the first symptom these patients experience is blood in the urine. If the tumor grows and irritates the inner wall of the bladder, patients may experience symptoms such as pain with urination, increased urinary frequency, and an intensified urge to urinate. A tumor that blocks the outflow of the bladder can cause pain or a sense of incomplete emptying after urinating. Conversely, a tumor that blocks the flow into the bladder causes symptoms such as decreased urine output and lower back pain.
One of the most common symptoms of bladder cancer is blood in the urine, a condition known as hematuria. Often patients have no pain associated with blood in the urine. Typically, blood is seen throughout the voiding process but is most prominent during urination. Bladder cancer causes this symptom by disrupting the inner lining of the bladder and exposing blood vessels to stored urine.
Other symptoms of bladder cancer can result from irritation of the inner lining of the bladder. This can lead to symptoms such as an increased sense of urgency with the need to urinate, increased frequency of urination, and lower abdominal pain. Patients may notice that they wake up numerous times during the night due to the need to urinate, a condition known as nocturia. Also, patients may report pain when urinating.
Bladder tumor growth can sometimes block bladder drainage. This happens most often when the tumor is in the lower part of the bladder and blocks the opening of the urethra. Symptoms associated with this state include a sense of incomplete evacuation after urinating, straining during urination, and fullness in the lower abdomen.
Pain is another common symptom of bladder cancer. Tumor growth in and around the bladder can cause pain in the region above the pubic bone. If the tumor blocks the flow of urine into the bladder, the backflow of urine can put pressure on the kidneys and cause pain in the lower back.
When bladder cancer is a malignant tumor, such as transitional cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma, it has the ability to metastasize to other parts of the body by spreading through the blood or lymphatic system. The first location that cancers spread is often to lymph nodes located in the groin. Symptoms associated with the disease in this area can include pain and swelling. Spreading to distant places such as the lungs or brain can cause other symptoms, such as shortness of breath and headache respectively.
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