The bladder cancer nurse specialist team provide support to each individual from diagnosis onwards and can be contacted on 0113 2064506.
The bladder cancer Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) diagnose, treat and support patients.
Signs and symptoms
The Bladder
The bladder is a hollow and muscular organ that collects and stores urine (pee). It sits in the lower part of the tummy (abdomen), called the pelvis.
As your bladder fills, it expands to store the urine. When it is full, it sends messages (nerve signals) to the brain. This makes you feel like you need to empty your bladder.
The bladder muscle tightens and squeezes the urine out of the body through a tube called the urethra at the bottom of the bladder.
In people with female genitalia, the urethra is a short tube that lies in front of the vagina. In people with male genitalia, the urethra is longer and passes through the prostate gland to the end of the penis.
What is Bladder cancer?
Bladder cancer is where a growth of abnormal tissue, usually a tumour, develops in the bladder lining.
The most common symptom of bladder cancer is blood in urine, which is usually painless.
If you notice blood in your urine, even if it comes and goes, you should visit your GP, so the cause can be investigated.
What symptoms should I look out for?
Blood in your urine is the most common symptom of bladder cancer.
The medical name for this is haematuria and it’s usually painless. You may notice streaks of blood in your urine or the blood may turn your urine brown. The blood isn’t always noticeable and it may come and go.
Less common symptoms of bladder cancer include:
- a need to urinate on a more frequent basis
- sudden urges to urinate
- a burning sensation when passing urine
- pain in lower back or tummy
When to seek medical advice
If you have blood in your urine – even if it comes and goes – you should visit your GP as soon as possible, so the cause can be investigated.
Having blood in your urine doesn’t mean you definitely have bladder cancer. There are other, more common, causes including:
- A urinary tract infection (UTIs) such as cystitis
- A kidney infection
- Kidney stones
- Urethritis (inflammation of the uretha)