What is the Bladder?
The bladder is a hollow, muscular, balloon-like organ that collects and stores urine. It sits in the lower part of the pelvis (the lower tummy area in between the hip bones).
What is Bladder cancer?
Some cancers begin as an invasive tumor growing into the muscle wall of the bladder. Others begin at a non-invasive stage that involves only the inner lining of the bladder – this is early (superficial) cancer. Some non-invasive cancers develop into invasive cancer. There are several types of cancer:
Transitional cell bladder cancer (TCC): TCC, also known as urothelial carcinoma, is the most common type of cancer. The cancer starts in cells, called transitional cells, in the bladder lining (urothelium).
Carcinoma in situ (CIS): This is a type of non-invasive cancer that appears as a flat, red area in the bladder. CIS can grow quickly, and if it’s not treated effectively, there’s a high risk that CIS will develop into an invasive bladder cancer.
Papillary bladder cancer: Papillary cancer is a form of early bladder cancer. It appears as mushroom-like growths or is leaf-shaped like seaweed. Some people may have both papillary cancer and CIS.
Rare Types of bladder cancer: These include squamous cell cancer and adenocarcinoma. Squamous cell cancers start from another type of cell in the bladder lining. Adenocarcinoma starts from glandular cells. Both of these types of cancer are usually invasive.
Signs and symptoms of Bladder cancer
- Blood in the urine
- Pain or burning during urination
- Pain in the lower part of the belly or back
It often causes no symptoms until it reaches an advanced stage that is difficult to cure. Therefore, you may want to talk to your health care professional about screening tests if you have risk factors for it.
Traditional treatment options for Bladder Cancer
There are various treatment options including surgery to remove the tumor and part if not the entire bladder, chemotherapy and radiation.
Utopia Wellness’ Comprehensive Cancer Wellness Program for Cancer
It is a very stressful diagnosis and your Utopia Wellness team understands this. We work with you to design a customized holistic plan to ensure you have the most effective alternative treatments for your specific cancer.
