Bladder Cancer: An Unmerciful Killer

7 Pages 1770 Words

Cancer (AJCC) is known as the TNM system. The letter “T” followed by a number from one to four represents the degree of the tumor’s invasion into the bladder wall and surrounding tissues (ACS). The higher the T number, the more extensive the invasion. Similarly, the letter “N” followed by a number ranking from zero to three designates if the cancer has reached beyond the bladder to the nearby lymph nodes (ACS). The numbers zero or one preceded by the letter “M” specifies if the cancer’s coverage has extended to distant organs and lymph nodes (ACS). This compilation of information leads to the determination of a patient’s disease stage, and in turn the treatment that must be utilized.
A multitude of symptoms exist that indicate the presence of bladder cancer in one’s body (WebMD):
Blood, blood clots, or pus in urine
Painful urination
Frequently urinating in small amounts

An occurrence of the following symptoms may indicate types of advanced bladder cancer:
Flank pain
Swelling of the lower leg
A pelvic mass near the bladder
However, one must realize that these symptoms could signal any number of other ailments, such as a common bladder infection.
Although the exact cause of bladder cancer is unknown, habitual smokers are two to four times as likely to develop this form of cancer (WebMD). Similarly, experts have come to the conclusion that smoking triggers up to fi...