Bladder cancer may be presenting itself in symptoms commonly linked to other, less serious conditions.
Unfortunately, around 1,500 people across Scotland are diagnosed with bladder cancer every year, according to Public Health Scotland. The cancer is one of the most common types of the disease across the UK, with most cases diagnosed in people aged 60 and over.
Bladder cancer occurs where a growth of abnormal tissues, a tumour, develops in the lining of the bladder. The most common symptom of bladder cancer is blood in your urine, but there are a number of other signs that may be noticeable, including some that masks as a urinary tract infection (UTI).
The urgent and persistent need to use the loo and a razor sharp pain that won't go away is something many have experienced in their life. More than half of women and a tenth of men will suffer a UTI at one point.
And this means that is is easy to mistake the signs of bladder cancer, assuming the unpleasant pain is an infection instead, with the bigger issue going unnoticed.
Unfortunately, bladder cancer kills around half of suffers, according to charity Action Bladder Cancer UK. But spotting the bladder symptom early and getting diagnosed as soon as possible can be life saving with a 80 per cent survival rate if caught early enough.
So it is important to know the signs to look out for, including keeping an eye on the 'silent' frequent urination symptom that you may mistake for an UTI.
What are the symptoms of bladder cancer?
According to the NHS, the most common symptom is blood in the urine.
Other common symptoms include:
- a need to urinate on a more frequent basis
- sudden urges to urinate
- a burning sensation when passing urine
If the cancer reaches an advanced stage and has spread, symptoms may include:
- pelvic pain
- bone pain
- unintentional weight loss
- swelling of the legs
You should book an appointment with your GP if you spot blood in your urine to allow the cause to be investigated.
It is important to remember that the presence of blood in your pee does not necessarily mean you have blood cancer, with a range of other more common conditions causing this symptom. Such as:
- urinary tract infections (UTIs), such as cystitis
- a kidney infection
- kidney stones
- non-gonococcal urethritis
- an enlarged prostate gland, in men
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