Bladder Cancer
Early Treatment Improves Survival Chances

The term bladder cancer, often referred to as urinary bladder carcinoma, bladder carcinoma, or urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder, refers to a malignant tumour of the bladder.

Bladder cancer affects men three times more often than women. The total number of new cases of bladder cancer in Germany is about 30,000 per year. Carcinomas that are locally limited and therefore highly likely to be cured are also included in the statistics, as well as uncertain findings of cell regeneration.

Bladder cancer is almost exclusively a disease associated with old age. The average age for the disease is 74 for men and 76 for women. Bladder cancer is rarely diagnosed in people under the age of 65. Bladder cancer is very rare in young and middle-aged adults.

Causes of Bladder Cancer

Many studies have shown an increased risk of bladder cancer in cigarette smokers. They are up to six times more likely to get bladder cancer than non-smokers.

Drugs and various agents, e.g. aromatic amines or aromatic hydrocarbons can also be associated with the formation of bladder carcinomas. People working in the paint industry, rubber processing industry, coal industry, laboratories, aluminium industry, textile dyeing and textile industry and plastics industry are also particularly vulnerable.

In addition, chronic inflammation of the bladder, radiation therapy in the pelvis (uterine tumours), and a diet high in fat and low in fruit can promote the development of bladder cancer.

Other risk factors discussed are coffee consumption, overall fluid intake, and genetic factors.

Symptoms and diagnosis of bladder cancer

Patients often notice reddish to brown colouration of the urine (haematuria) first, which is caused by the bleeding of the tumour. Added to that is an increased urge to urinate and problems or pain during urination. In these cases, a specialist (urologist) should be contacted immediately. In many cases, a diagnosis of bladder cancer can be ruled out after a thorough examination by the urologist since the symptoms may result from other harmless causes.

First indications of possible bladder cancer may be revealed by a urine test or imaging techniques (ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)).

To confirm the diagnosis, cystoscopy (examination of the bladder) is recommended as a standard test. For this, a thin tube with a light source and camera is inserted through the urethra into the bladder to check for any changes or abnormalities. This allows the location, size, and number of tumours to be documented. If the suspicion of a carcinoma is confirmed, tissue samples are taken.

The same applies here as with prostate cancer: The earlier the treatment, the better the survival chances. The treatment methods depend on the stage of the tumour. The less the bladder carcinoma has infiltrated from the superficial urothelial layer into deeper layers of the bladder wall, the more favourable the prognosis for the patient.

If detected early enough (non-muscle-invasive carcinomas), the tumour cells can be removed by transurethral resection (TUR).

Subsequently, chemotherapeutic agents are often introduced into the bladder via a catheter in order to prevent the cancer from returning. The EMDA®* method, for which UROMED has assumed exclusive distribution in Germany and Switzerland, is particularly effective for this. Drugs such as the anti-cancer drug Mitomycin can be directly inserted into the bladder wall by means of an electric field.

If a carcinoma has invaded the muscle layer (muscle-invasive carcinoma), a radical cystectomy, i.e. the removal of the entire bladder, might be necessary.