Early signs of bladder cancer: Don’t miss them
If you have symptoms, see a doctor
Early bladder cancer can cause signs or symptoms, such as:
- Blood in the urine
- Changes in urination, including having to go more often than usual or pain/burning during urination
Urine tests that might be used to look for bladder cancer
Most tests for bladder cancer look for cancer cells in the urine. These tests include:
Urinalysis: a simple test to check for blood and other substances in a sample of urine. Blood in the urine is usually caused by benign (non-cancer) problems, like infections, but it also can be the first sign of bladder cancer.
Urine cytology: In this test, a microscope is used to look for cancer cells in urine.
Urine tests for tumor markers: Newer tests look in the urine for substances known as tumor markers that might be a sign of bladder cancer. These include tests such as:
- UroVysion
- Bladder tumor antigen (BTA) tests
- ImmunoCyt
- NMP22 BladderChek
Blue-light cystoscopy is an advance in testing for bladder cancer
Cystoscopy is a test that lets the urologist look at the inner lining of the bladder and take biopsy samples from abnormal areas, if needed. The urologist uses a cystoscope, which is a long, thin, flexible tube with a light and a lens or a small video camera on the end. The cystoscope is inserted through the urethra and up into the bladder.
Routine cystoscopy uses white light. An important advance is blue-light cystoscopy, which is also known as fluorescence cystoscopy. With blue-light cystoscopy, the doctor puts a light-activated drug into the bladder. This drug is taken up by cancer cells. When the blue light shines through the cystoscope, any cells containing the drug will glow (fluoresce). This helps the doctor see abnormal areas that might have been missed by routine white-light cystoscopy.
Other tests for finding early bladder cancer
Transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT): This procedure is used to confirm a diagnosis of bladder cancer by cystoscopy. During TURBT, the doctor removes any tumors from the bladder lining, as well as some of the bladder muscle around the tumors. The removed samples are then sent to a lab to look for cancer.
Imaging tests: These include computed tomography (CT scan), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, and intravenous pyelogram (IVP). If your doctor thinks you might have bladder cancer, one or more of these tests might be done to look for tumors in the bladder or in other parts of the urinary tract. A biopsy of tumor tissue is needed to confirm cancer.
Physical exam: The doctor might do a digital rectal exam (DRE), during which a gloved, lubricated finger is put into your rectum. If you are a woman, the doctor might do a pelvic exam as well. During these exams, the doctor can sometimes feel a bladder tumor, determine its size, and feel if and how far it has spread.
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