ALTERNATIVE THERAPY SERIES NO: 27 BLADDER CANCER

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

BLADDER CANCER

SYMPTOMS


In its early stages, bladder cancer may not have obvious symptoms; in later stages symptoms may include:

• Blood urine, ranging in color from faintly rusty to deep red, sometimes containing blood clots. Blood traces, invisible to the naked eye, may show up in tests of urine samples.

• Frequent urinary tract infections, painful urination, and a need to urinate often.

• Weight or appetite loss.

• Abdominal or back pain, persistent low grade fever, anemia.



WHAT IS BLADDER CANCER

The bladder is a pouch in the urinary tract that stores urine after it is produce by the kidneys. The bladder is lined with specialized transitional cells, and when it is irritated, extra layer of transitional cells develop. This process increases likelihood of a transitional cell turning cancerous, then multiplying to create a malignant tumor. Malignant tumor being as small, superficial lumps on the inner wall of the bladder. The cancer spreads by penetrating bladder muscle, infiltrating muscle, infiltrating surrounding fat and tissue, and if untreated eventually invading the blood stream and lymphatic system.

The earlier the cancer is detected, the more localized it will be and the more effective the treatment. Thanks to improve procedure for early detection, five year survival rates for this disease improved from 50 percent in the 1960s to over 70 percent in the 1990s. while bladder tumor often recur, prompt detection means they can be stop while they are still superficial. The average age for getting bladder cancer is 68. Men are more susceptible to the disease than women, and Caucasians more susceptible than African Americans. Bladder cancer account for about 5 percent of cancer in the United States, or about 50,000 cases a year.



CAUSES

Chronic irritation of the bladder increases the risk of cancer. people with congenital disorders of the bladder, chronic bladder infections, or persistent cystitis inflammation of the bladder are more susceptible, as are people with histories of benign bladder tumors.

More than most cancer, bladder cancer is associated with exposure to cancer promoting chemicals, or carcinogens. For example cigarette smokers have three times more risk than non smoker of developing bladder cancer because of specific carcinogens in tobacco smokes. Painter, truckers, leatherworkers, machinists and metal workers, rubber and textiles workers, and people expose to industrial eyes dyes are at increased risk. People who have been treated with radiation or alkylating chemotherapy agents are also at higher risk. Consumption of nitrate in smoke and cured meats may also be associated with bladder cancer, as may consumption of caffeine and saccharin, but the connection is so weak that some researchers question the risk at all.



DIAGNOSTIC AND TEST PROCEDURES

The bladder can be viewed through a fiberoptic tube known as a cystoscope. If a doctors detect a tumor, a tiny tissue sample is taken through the tube and examine in the laboratory. Should the tumor be malignant, the treatment will depend on how far, if at all, the cancer has spread. Blood and urine studies and x-ray of the bladder, ureters, kidneys, and other organs provide information about tumor size, location, and the degree or amount of spread.

TREATMENT

There is no acceptable primary treatment for cancer other than medical care by a certified oncologist. Alternative therapies outside main stream medicine may help ease the pain of the disease and the side effects of conventional treatment, but none is proven cure for cancer. See Cancer for more information about treatment.



CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

If detected early, superficial malignancies can usually be treated successfully by transurethral resection (TUR). In this procedure the surgeon inserts a small tube into the bladder and remove the tumor surgically or burns it out with heat or laser beam. Combine with chemotherapy or relation therapy, TUR may also be successful against more invasive bladder cancer. immunotherapy with the bacillus Calmette- Guerin (BCG) vaccine is beneficial in 60 percent of cases. Injecting BCG into bladder after the tumor has been removed significantly reduce the chance of the cancer’s recurring.

Invasive cancer may require radical cystectomy, or bladder removal. The surgeon then diverts the urinary tract and creates an opening, or stoma, through which urine is passed. Patients once had to wear external urine pouches, but new techniques synthesize internal pouches from intestinal tissue. Bladder removal may also mean removing the reproductive organs in women and the prostate and seminal vesicles in men. Although this procedure renders men impotent and women infertile, men can have penile implants to overcome impotence, and women can remain sexually active.

After surgery, a combination of radiation and chemotherapy may be necessary to deter recurrence. Anyone who has had bladder cancer should have regular follow up tests, since tumor often recur. If the cancer has metastasized, or spread beyond the urinary tract, surgery is not usually considered. Chemotherapy is the primary treatment for recurrent and metastatic cancer.



COMPLEMENTARY THRAPIES

Several studies suggest that certain vitamins and minerals are beneficial in both treatment and prevention of bladder cancer. patients receiving BCG immunotherapy may have better result with megadoses of vitamin A, B6, C, and E, as well as zinc. Research also suggest reduce incidence of bladder cancer among people with adequate vitamin B6, beta carotene, and selenium in their diets.



PREVENTION

To prevent bladder cancer your best bet is to steer clear of possible carcinogens. For starters, don’t smoke. Eat smokes or cure meat only occasionally and prepare fresh rather than processed food. If you work around the carcinogens chemicals, follows safety guidelines to avoid undue exposure. And if you feel you may be at risk for bladder cancer, arrange regular screening with your doctor to ensure early detection.