What is bladder cancer?

Bladder cancer develops when cells undergo genetic mutations. The abnormal cells multiply rapidly and don’t have a limited lifespan like healthy cells. They form masses that can spread to other areas (metastasize). About 90% of bladder cancers start in the transitional epithelium — the cells lining your bladder.

Bladder cancer affects around 1 in 27 men. It’s the fourth most common cancer in men but is far rarer in women. It usually develops after 55, with 73 the average age patients receive a diagnosis.

What symptoms does bladder cancer cause?

Bladder cancer symptoms include:

• Blood in the urine (hematuria)
• Pelvic pain when urinating
• Burning sensation when urinating
• Back pressure
• Persistent fever
• Frequent urination
• Needing to urinate at night (nocturia)
• Inability to fully empty the bladder

If you experience any of these symptoms, visit Dr. Shirin Razdan, MD, for an evaluation. After a physical exam and medical history review, Dr. Shirin Razdan could use a cystoscope — a thin, lighted tube — to see your bladder directly. She takes a bladder biopsy (tissue sample) for lab analysis to get a definitive bladder cancer diagnosis.

What causes bladder cancer?

It’s not always clear why cells become cancerous. Things that increase your bladder cancer risk include:

• Smoking
• Toxic chemical exposure
• Family history of bladder cancer
• Older age

Your gender and ethnicity can also affect your bladder cancer risk. Around three-quarters of cases involve men, and it’s more common in white people.

Is bladder cancer treatable?

Bladder cancer is highly treatable, particularly when identified early. Survival rates after five years are around 98% for people with stage 0 bladder cancer and 88% for those with stage I bladder cancer.

Patients with stage IV bladder cancer that’s spread to other organs have the lowest survival rate at 15%. But, treatments are available to ease advanced bladder cancer symptoms.

Dr. Shirin Razdan removes early-stage tumors surgically through the cystoscope. In some cases, where the cancer is advanced, she’ll need to extract the entire bladder. You’ll likely require radiation therapy and chemotherapy after surgery.

Dr. Shirin Razdan uses the da Vinci V® robotic system to perform minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for more challenging bladder cancer operations. The state-of-the-art da Vinci technology fuses the surgeon’s skill with computer accuracy to produce the best possible results.

Call Dr. Shirin Razdan, MD, today or book an appointment online for outstanding bladder cancer treatment.