This article reviews the proceedings of the cause and risk session of the recently held BCAN Bladder Think Tank in 2009. Understanding associations between specific genetic changes and development of particular forms of bladder cancer, whether low-grade or more invasive forms, may justify screening programs for earlier detection. A fundamental epidemiological issue is causation. Associations are supported by high rates in industrialized regions and parallel associations with cigarette smoking. The evolution to molecular and integrative epidemiology incorporates molecular and cytogenetic markers in host and tumor tissue with classic epidemiology to develop risk assessment models to identify high-risk populations. Animal models can teach us something about human bladder cancer and address th…
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www.oginski-law.com A woman from Brooklyn, New York had complained to her primary care doctor that she kept seeing traces of blood when she urinated. The doctor did a urinalysis on a few occasions but failed to recognize the significance of the results. He also failed to refer the patient to a urologist when she continued to complain of seeing blood in the bowl. When she was finally diagnosed, she had stage 4 bladder cancer which ultimately killed her. This patient’s death was preventable with timely diagnosis and treatment. Watch the video to learn more. To learn more about medical malpractice and wrongful death cases here inNew York, I encourage you to explore my website http If you have legal questions I urge you to pick up the phone and call me since I can answer your legal questions at 516-487-8207. I welcome your call. The Law Office of Gerald Oginski, LLC 25 Great Neck Road, Suite 4 Great Neck, NY 11021 516-487-8207 lawmed10@yahoo.com
Bladder cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in your bladder, a balloon-shaped organ in your pelvic area that stores urine. It is the fourth most common type of cancer in men and the eighth most common type in women. Tumors can develop on the surface of the bladder wall or in more severe cases, within the wall and into the underlying muscles. Cancer in the bladder typically affects older adults, though it can occur at any age. Bladder tumors are 2 to 3 times more common in men.
Causes of Bladder Cancer
Smoking, gender, and diet can affect the risk of developing bladder cancer. Bladder carcinomas are also associated with industrial exposure to aromatic amines in dyes, paints, benzedine, nitrates, solvents, leather dust, inks, combustion products, rubber, and textiles. The period between exposure to the carcinogen and development of symptoms is about 18 years.
There is currently limited evidence that diet plays a part in the development of bladder cancer, but a diet high in fruit and vegetables and low in fat may help reduce the risk. Urinary infections, kidney and bladder stones, and other causes of chronic bladder irritation have been linked with bladder cancer (especially squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder), but they do not necessarily cause bladder cancer.
Signs of Bladder Cancer
In early cases around 25% of patients have no symptoms. Commonly the first sign of bladder tumours is blood in the urine, pain after urination, urinary frequency and dribbling. However, these signs and symptoms are not specific to bladder cancer, and may also be caused by non-cancerous conditions, including prostate infections and cystitis.
Types of Bladder Cancer
Cancers are divided into superficial and invasive disease. Superficial bladder cancer is limited to the innermost linings of the bladder. Invasive bladder cancer has at least penetrated the muscular layer of the bladder wall. Less than 5% of bladder cancers in the United States are squamous cell carcinomas, however, worldwide this is the most common form, accounting for 75% of bladder carcinoma in underdeveloped nations. Urothelial carcinoma (transitional cell carcinoma) is by far the most common type of bladder cancer in the United States.
Diagnosis of Bladder Cancer
Cancer in the bladder is usually curable if it is diagnosed while the cancer is still contained in the bladder, and up to 80% of tumors are diagnosed at this early stage. A biopsy for bladder cancer is usually done during cystoscopy. CT and Ultrasound scans, urinalysis and arteriography may also be done.
Treatment for Bladder Cancer
Treatments include bladder cancer surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and biologic therapy. The stage and grade of the cancer provides important information and can help guide treatment. Superficial bladder tumors are surgically removed with chemotherapy being added to the treatment regime to help prevent recurrence. Radical cystectomy and urinary diversion (an external bag) is usually undertaken for invasive bladder cancer.
Several new compounds have shown activity against transitional cell bladder cancer and are now being tested in combination chemotherapy trials. BCG immunotherapy is the most effective intravesical therapy and involves a live attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis. Immunotherapy in the form of BCG instillation is also used to treat and prevent the recurrence of superficial tumors. Alternative bladder cancer treatments such as herbal treatment may also be of some benefit.
Risk Reduction
Stopping smoking can reduce the risk of getting bladder cancer and if you have been diagnosed with superficial bladder cancer, stopping smoking will reduce the risk of developing more tumours in the future. Bladder cancer has a recurrence rate of 50%-80% and therefore, doctors recommend cystoscopy screening every three months for the first two years after treatment. People who drink a lot of fluids each day have a lower rate of bladder cancer.
Survival Rates
The prognosis depends on the stage of the cancer, whether it is superficial or invasive bladder cancer, and whether it has spread to other places in the body. Superficial bladder cancer has a good prognosis, with 5-year survival rates of 82-100%. If a tumor has grown into the wall of the bladder but has not spread to other organs, treatment usually involves surgical removal of the tumor, or combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy, with a five-year survival rate of 60% to 75%. Patients with more deeply invasive tumors,which are also usually less well differentiated, and those with lymphovascular invasion experience 5-year survival rates of 30% to 50% following radical cystectomy.
www.oginski-law.com A woman from Brooklyn, New York had complained to her primary care doctor that she kept seeing traces of blood when she urinated. The doctor did a urinalysis on a few occasions but failed to recognize the significance of the results. He also failed to refer the patient to a urologist when she continued to complain of seeing blood in the bowl. When she was finally diagnosed, she had stage 4 bladder cancer which ultimately killed her. This patient’s death was preventable with timely diagnosis and treatment. Watch the video to learn more. To learn more about medical malpractice and wrongful death cases here in New York, I encourage you to explore my website http If you have legal questions I urge you to pick up the phone and call me since I can answer your legal questions at 516-487-8207. I welcome your call. The Law Office of Gerald Oginski, LLC 25 Great Neck Road, Suite 4 Great Neck, NY 11021 516-487-8207 lawmed10@yahoo.com
Bladder Cancer: Bladder is the hollow organ which stores urine and waste extracts produced by the kidneys. Bladder cancer occurs due to the unusual growth of bladder cells in the inner lining of the bladder walls without controlling limit. Due to the abnormality function of these cells they form a tissue which is termed as tumor.
Bladder cells plays major role in defining bladder cancer. All the organs and tissues in the body are made up by tiny body cells. These cells have a constant process of dying and replacing new cells. This is the general process carried by them, if there is any malfunction in their life cycle then there is a chance for the occurrence of cancer. Tumor occurs due to the formation of excess cells in the body. There are two types of Tumors one is benign tumor and the other is malignant tumor .Benign tumor is not cancerous but can cause damage to the adjacent organs if it grows continuously at a single site. Malignant tumor is cancerous, it spreads through out the body and damages the entire body organs.
There are different types of cells in the bladder in which the cells which are lining inside the bladder wall are having more chances to develop cancer. They are total three different types of bladder cancers .
• Transitional cell carcinoma ( urothelial carcinoma): This is the most common type of bladder cancer. This cancer occurs due to the changes of transition cells which present in the inner lining of the bladder wall.
• Squamous cell carcinoma: This cancer occurs due to the inflammation or infection of the bladder.
• Adenocarcinoma cancer: This cancer occurs due to the growth of unnecessary glands in the bladder. These glands produce mucus which causes infection and inflammation in the bladder size.
Causes of Bladder cancer: There is no exact reason for the occurrence of bladder cancer, but the risk factors for bladder cancer can be identified. Here is the list of risk factors for bladder cancer.
Risk factors of Bladder cancer:
• Age • Gender • Smoking • Alcohols • Family pedigree • External beam radiation • Infection of parasites • Urinary stones • Inflammation of bladder • High saturated fat foods • Diet and food intake
Symptoms of bladder cancer:
• Blood in the urination • Urination pain • Regular feel of urination • Infections • Bladder stones
These are the symptoms and signs for the bladder cancer. If the symptoms persist for longer time then consult the doctor for screening purpose.
Treatment for Bladder cancer:
There are total four types of treatment available for bladder cancer, they are:
Surgery: surgery is the most common of type of treatment available for removing the tumor. The kind of treatment is decided well by the doctor by determining the stage and severity of the cancer. They are total three types of surgeries which can be carried by identifying the severity of the cancer.
• Transurethral resection: This kind of treatment is carried by inserting a cystoscope into the urethra and from there the tumor is removed by using some tools. After that, the affected area is burned to kill the remaining cancer cells by using electric current, this process is called as fulguration.
• Radical cystectomy: This surgery is carried for treating invasive bladder cancer. In this treatment the entire bladder is removed along with the adjacent effected organs for stopping spreading of the disease.
• Segmental cystectomy: This treatment process is useful in removing the only effected part in the bladder. This operation is carried to clear the entire effected part of the bladder.
Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is one of the treatment methods useful in killing cancer causing cells by the usage of drugs. This treatment process is carried by either pills or through intravascular injections. The anti-cancer drug enters into the bloodstream and travels towards the damaged tissues and destroys the caner cells. Chemotherapeutic drugs attacks the cancer cells by stopping their unusual growth. The nature of the cancer cells were brought to the normal condition by controlling the divisibility of the cells. These drugs are carried in the bloodstream to kill destroy all the cancer cells within short period of time.
Radiotherapy: Radiotherapy is a process for removing cancer cells in bladder by using high intensity x-rays. These high energy x-rays are aimed at the cancer affected part of the body to destroy the cancer cells. This process causes damage to the normal cells for its side effects. There are two types of radiotherapy treatments they are.
• External radiations: Radiations are given from the external side of the body. These radiations are aimed at the effected area from outside the body. • Internal radiations: Radiations are passed into the body by making some small incisions in the bladder area. This treatment gives better results than the external radiation therapy.
Biotherapy: Due to weak immune system in the body, there are chances for the development of cancer. So, this Biotherapy treatment process is useful in rebuilding strong immune system in the body. Biotherapy is also called as immunotherapy or biological response modifier therapy. This treatment process is really useful in repairing, enhancing and stimulating the weak immune system of the body. This process can be carried along with surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Bladder cancer is treated as a serious problem due to its effects. Bladder cancer can spread to other parts of the body so, please consult the doctors if you notice any of the symptoms mentioned above.Bladder cancer can also cause ovarian cancer due to metastatic characteristics.
Bladder is a hollow organ located in lower abdomen i.e. the pelvic region which stores urine coming from kidney. Bladder cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer; seen more in aged people. Men are said to be infected by this tumor more than women. Studies suggest that the ratio of men getting infected is 1:30 whereas for women the ratio is 1: 90.
Bladder cancer can be benign i.e. restricted to the inner most lining of the bladder or it can also be malignant i.e. spreading to the muscular portion of the bladder. Bladder cancer is said to spread through the lymph cells and blood to the other parts of the body, infecting everything. Bladder cancer can be categorized into three different categories: urothelial carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Urothelial carcinoma is the most common form of bladder cancer and nearly 90% of people suffering from bladder cancer have this form of cancer.
Causes: There are various factors leading to this type of cancer. First and foremost; it is caused with the growing age of a person. Secondly; people with excessive intake of fried meat and animal fat, in daily diet, have a great risk of suffering from this form of cancer. Smoking increases chances of bladder cancer. Then there are chemicals too responsible for bladder cancer.
People working in industries dealing with aromatic amines are common sufferers of this problem. Moreover individuals working in leather industry, dyes, textiles, rubber, hair coloring, and paint too are at a risk. There are others who under weight loss programme consume a Chinese herb known as “aristolochai fangchi” which is supposed to be causing bladder cancer.
There are other causes like when a person has been suffering from urinary infection for a long time then he too is prone to this tumor. Hereditary factors too can’t be ignored.
Symptoms: bladder cancer does not have any unusual symptom. Infact the symptoms are very similar to any urinary tract infection. The most noticeable symptom is blood in urine. Then there are other things to watch out for like burning sensation while urinating, frequent urination, urge to urinate after every half an hour but the quantity of urine coming out is very less.
Though these symptoms are not very typical of bladder cancer but nevertheless one is expected to go to an urologist with any kind of bladder infection. However in bladder cancer the symptoms are not visible till in a later stage of infection. This proves to be very risky as it is a well known fact that any tumor at late stages is difficult to cure.
Once the presence of tumor has been established it is important to go for treatments like chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, biological therapy or immunotherapy as soon as possible. However the course of treatment is dependent on the type of tumor, age and health of the person .for bladder cancer it is a well known fact that it can reoccur at later stages. People who suffer from frequent urinary infections or who have a history of bladder cancer should go for regular screening to detect the cancer at early stages.
Bladder cancer is a tumor that develops on the surface of the bladder wall or that grows within the bladder wall and quickly invades underlying muscles. Bladder tumors are most common in men over age 50 and occur more often in densely populated industrial areas. What causes it?
Certain carcinogenic substances can predispose a person to bladder cancer. These include 2-naphthylamine, benzidine, tobacco, and nitrates. So, workers in certain industries – rubber workers, weavers, leather finishers, aniline dye workers, hairdressers, petroleum workers, and spray painters – are at high risk. What are its symptoms?
About 25% of people with bladder cancer have no symptoms during the early stages. Typically, the person first notices blood in the urine. Usually, this is painless, but people with invasive cancers may have pain above the pubic area after urinating. Other symptoms include bladder irritability, frequent urination, nighttime urination, and urine dribbling. How is it diagnosed?
To confirm bladder cancer, the doctor will do a biopsy (in which he or she removes some bladder tissue) and will insert an instrument called a cystoscope into the urethra to visualize the urinary tract (this procedure is called cystoscopy).
The person should have cystoscopy when blood first appears in the urine. The doctor will try to determine if the tumor has invaded the prostate gland or nearby lymph nodes.
Other tests that provide important information about the tumor include urinalysis, X-rays of the urinary system, X-rays of the bladder and blood vessels in the pelvis using contrast dyes, computed tomography scan (commonly called CAT scan), and ultrasound. How is it treated?
The surgeon will remove a superficial bladder tumor by a procedure called transurethral resection and fulguration (electrical destruction). This procedure is adequate if the tumor has not invaded the muscle.
To treat superficial tumors (especially those occurring in mall” sites) and to help prevent the cancer from recurring, the doctor may wash the bladder directly with anticancer drugs.
If more tumors develop, fulguration may have to be repeated every 3 months for years. But if the tumors invade the muscle layer or recur frequently, cystoscopy with fulguration is no longer appropriate. Treating larger tumors
If the tumor is too large to be treated by means of a cystoscope, the surgeon will remove a section of the bladder – provided that the tumor isn’t near the bladder neck or the openings of the ureters (the pair of tubes that carry urine from the kidneys into the bladder). To help control such tumors, the drug thiotepa may be instilled into the bladder after surgery. Treating infiltrating tumors
Bladder removal (also called radical cystectomy) is the preferred treatment for an infiltrating bladder tumor. The week before the operation, the person may undergo external beam therapy to the bladder. Then, during surgery, the doctor removes the bladder along with adjacent fat, lymph nodes, the urethra, the prostate and seminal vesicles (pouches in the lower part of the bladder surface in males), and the uterus and some nearby structures (in females). The surgeon forms a channel for urine drainage, called a urinary diversion. The most common type of channel is called an ileal conduit. The person must then wear an external pouch at all times to collect and drain the urine.
Males are impotent after radical cystectomy and urethrectomy (removal of the urethra or a part of it) because these procedures damage the nerves that control erection and ejaculation. Later, they may desire a penile implant to make sexual intercourse (without ejaculation) possible.
Treating advanced bladder cancer
Treatment for advanced bladder cancer includes surgical removal of the bladder, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy with such drugs as cyclophosphamide, fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and cisplatin. This combination sometimes can halt bladder cancer.
Experimental treatments
Researchers are investigating several treatments, including photodynamic therapy and administration of the drugs interferon alfa and tumor necrosis factor directly into the bladder. In photodynamic therapy, the person receives an intravenous injection of a photosensitizing agent, such as hematoporphyrin ether, which cancer cells readily absorb. Then a cystoscopic laser device delivers laser energy into the bladder, killing the cancer cells. This treatment also causes photosensitivity in normal cells, so the person must avoid all sunlight for about 30 days.
