Get the Facts on Bladder Cancer

Determining what the cells of bladder cancer look like under a microscope determines what type of cancer you have. The four different types of bladder cancer are urothelial cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and small cell cancer. Like many different types of cancer, it is not known what causes bladder cancer but there are some factors are known to increase a person’s risk of being diagnosed.

Smoking is the most common risk factor in a lot of different types of cancer. In bladder cancer, people that smoke are twice as likely to be diagnosed as a non-smoker. Exposure to toxic chemicals on a regular basis has been linked with bladder cancer. A few of the professions that are at high risk because of their exposure to certain dyes and the chemicals that make dyes are:

Professional house painters
Hairstylists who dye client’s hair
Workers who operate a print press
Truck drivers loading or unloading dye making materials on their truck

If you have quite a few bladder infections or bladder stones you may be at an increased risk of developing bladder cancer. If there is arsenic present in your drinking water or you do not drink enough water in a day you are increasing the risk of developing this disease.

You should go and see your doctor if you notice any changes in your urine or when you go to the bathroom (such as the presence of blood). If this occurs and you have any of the above risk factors present, you will be tested and screened for bladder cancer. The first test that will be conducted will be a urine sample to rule out any other infections of the bladder. There are many more tests and procedures that your doctor will utilize to diagnose you.