Blood in urine
Blood in the urine, also called hematuria is the most common compliant of the patient suffering from bladder cancer. Patient presents with the complaint of darkening of urine or blood in urine. “Gross hematuria” means that patient can see the blood. But it is very likely that there are small amounts of blood in the urine that cannot be seen by the patient This is referred as “microscopic hematuria,” and your doctor may order a urine test to identify the presence of blood in urine.
After history and examination from the patient presenting with the complaint of hematuria, doctor may ask for cystoscopy, a visual examination of the inside of the walls of bladder and a computed tomographic (CT) urogram, an x-ray to visualize the whole urinary system. Doctor order these tests to find out the source of bleeding and exclude any doubts regarding bleeding from kidneys and ureters.
Early diagnosis of bladder cancer can be a great blessing for the patient. If the tumor has not spread into the muscular walls of the bladder, it can be removed with the cystoscope by your surgeon. Chemotherapy or immunotherapy are given to the patient after the surgical resection in order to prevent recurrence.
But, if the cancer has invaded the muscular walls of the bladder, it is recommended to complete removal of the bladder (cystectomy). Cystectomy is also followed by chemotherapy. In some patients, chemotherapy and radiation are an alternative to bladder removal. It is significant for the patient to visit the doctor regularly after treatment because bladder cancer is notorious for recurrence.