Bladder Cancer: Causes, Symptoms, Types, and Treatment Options
The risk associated with bladder cancer starts to increase with age, with approximately 90% of cases being diagnosed when the person is over 55 years old (the average being 73 years old). Approximately half of all cases get diagnosed when the cancer is at an early stage, which means it is highly treatable. However, it can become life-threatening without treatment. Bladder cancer generally begins in the transitional epithelium, which are the cells of the bladder lining and in some cases, it might spread into the surrounding bladder muscle. Read on for the main causes, symptoms, and treatment options for bladder cancer: 1. Bladder cancer causes There are a number of factors that can increase the risk of a person developing bladder cancer. Smoking is the biggest risk, next to exposure to chemicals. Exposure to chemicals might account, according to some studies, for approximately 25% of cases, but it can take up to 30 years after the exposure before bladder cancer starts developing. Other things that might increase the risk are radiotherapy, long-term bladder stones, an untreated schistosomiasis, and repeated or long-term urinary tract infections. 2. Bladder cancer symptoms When it comes to symptoms, bladder cancer manifest itself through trace blood in the urine, or through painful and frequent urination.