Bladder Cancer - Affects 61,000 Americans a year!
by: RichardHEalom |
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INTRODUCTION: Bladder cancer refers to any of several kinds of malignant growths of the urinary bladder. It characteristically produces blood in the urine; this may be visible to the naked eye (frank haematuria) or found only by using a microscope (microscopic hematuria).
It is the 4th most common cancer in men and the ninth most common cancer in women, affecting close to 61,000 Americans a year and is about 4 times more likely to be diagnosed in men than women. It is considered very common in the USA.
TREATMENT: It depends on how deep the tumor invades into the bladder wall and is usually performed once a week for several weeks and can be repeated several times if the cancer returns. The most common treatment for superficial bladder cancer is BCG, a kind of biologic therapy which elevates the body's immune system to fight the tumor. Medicines available include mitomycin-C, thiotepa, interferon and a newly available agent, valrubicin.
It has not yet been determined how the effectiveness of this kind of treatment compares to that of radical ablative surgery. More than half of persons who opt for this treatment experience recurrence of the tumor (the cancer returning).
TYPES: The most common kind begins in cells lining the inside of the bladder and is called urothelial cell or transitional cell carcinoma (UCC or TCC). World-class pathologists at Fox Chase Cancer Center examine tissues under a microscope to diagnose the type, as follows: Urothelial carcinoma or transitional cell carcinoma--accounting for 90 percent of bladder cancers as well as Squamous cell carcinoma, Adenocarcinoma and Small cell Related Cancers.
Surgeons at Fox Chase Cancer Center are highly capable in treating all types. Persons with cancer of the bladder sometimes have a similar kind of cancer in the lining of the kidneys (called the renal pelvis), the ureters or the urethra.
SYMPTOMS: Even though the symptoms are few, they are noticeable. These signs and symptoms are not however caused by bladder cancer alone, and are also caused by non-cancerous conditions, including prostate infections and cystitis. Possible symptoms include painful urination, frequent urination (Pollakiuria) or feeling the need to urinate without results.
Many patients with a history, signs and symptoms suspicious for bladder cancer are referred to a urologist or other physician trained in cystoscopy, a procedure in which a flexible tube bearing a camera and various instruments is introduced into the bladder through the urethra.
RISK: Approximately 20 percent of diagnosed cases occur in patients without predisposing risk factors. It has been proposed that hair dyes are a risk factor. Hairdressers are said to be at risk as well because of their frequent exposure to permanent hair dyes. Jobs at risk are metal industry workers, rubber industry workers, workers in the textile industry and people who work in printing. Some studies also indicate that car mechanics have an elevated risk due to their continous exposure to hydrocarbons and petroleum-based chemicals. A family history of the disease is also a risk factor.
Conclusion: Bladder cancer is a condition in which cancerous cells form in the tissues of the bladder. Such cases may be treated with surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, biologic therapy or a combination of these. Exposure to environmental cancer causing agents of various types is responsible for the development of most cancers of the bladder.
The gold standard for diagnosing the condition is urine cytology and transurethral (through the urethra) cystoscopy. Cytology is very specific (a positive result is highly indicative of bladder cancer) but suffers from low sensitivity (a negative result does not exclude the diagnosis of cancer). 90% of cases are Transitional cell carcinomas (TCC) that spring from the inner lining of the bladder called the urothelium.
In the U.S., bladder cancer is the 4th most common type of cancer in men and the 9th most common cancer in women. Over 47,000 men and 16,000 women are diagnosed with the disease each year. There are now newer urine bound markers for the diagnosis of bladder cancer.
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About the Author
About the author: Richard H. Ealom is an ezinearticles.com writer with more than 50 articles on Diseases,Causes,Cures. To find out more about Bladder Cancer visit Cancer Breakthrough USA! You have permission to use this article provided this box is left unchanged.
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