|
Bladder cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells (tumors)
within the bladder, a balloon-like organ in the lower
abdomen that stores urine produced by the kidneys.
Bladder cancer begins in the lining layer and grows
into the bladder wall. One of the most common symptoms
of bladder cancer is the presence of blood in the urine,
which may or may not be accompanied by pain during
urination. A urologist can diagnose bladder cancer
during a comprehensive, in-office examination, which
can include the use of either the NMP22® BladderChek®
Test or the NMP22® Test Kit.
Bladder cancer is diagnosed by stage and grade.
The stage refers to how advanced a cancer is,
while the grade refers to cell appearance and
aggressiveness. Stage is determined by the depth
to which the tumor has penetrated the bladder
wall, and assessment of invasion of lymph
nodes and other surrounding organs and tissues.
The grade is determined by pathology tests,
showing how abnormal the cells of biopsy
specimens appear and how closely a tumor resembles
normal tissue of its same type.
Types of Bladder
Cancer
There are two main types
of bladder cancer found in the United States.
They are grouped by the way they look under
a microscope.
|
| |
This
is by far the most common type of bladder cancer.
Within this group are also several sub-types
depending on their shape and whether or not they
tend to spread (invasive).
|
This
type is much less common and is usually invasive.
While there are other types of bladder cancer,
they are very rare. There are also a number of
bladder tumors that are either benign (not cancer)
or not quite cancer.
| |
Who Gets Bladder Cancer?
The American Cancer Society estimates
that 63,210 new cases of bladder cancer will be diagnosed
in the United States during 2005. About 13,180 people
will die of the disease. Bladder cancer is almost three
times more common among men than women and has almost
the same incidence in men as colon cancer. When found
and treated early, the chances for survival are very
good. However, bladder cancer has a 50 - 80% recurrence
rate and therefore must be very closely monitored.
What are the Risk Factors for Bladder Cancer?
The
greatest risk factor for bladder cancer is smoking. According
to the American Cancer Society, smokers get bladder cancer twice as
often as people who do not smoke. Due to the low turnover rate
of the cells that line the bladder walls, a smoker’s
risk for bladder cancer does not significantly decrease
once the person has stopped smoking. There are additional
occupational risk factors for bladder cancer associated
with a variety of occupations, particularly fire
fighters, fire investigators, coalminers, truck
drivers and those who work with textiles, rubber,
petrochemicals and dyes.
|
