Bladder Cancer: Symptoms, Types, Treatment and Lifestyle Changes

This medical assignment discusses the symptoms, types, treatment and lifestyle changes related to bladder cancer. It also highlights the types of patients it affects and the references used.

Running head: MEDICAL ASSIGNMENT
MEDICAL ASSIGNMENT
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1MEDICAL ASSIGNMENT
Introduction:
Bladder cancer can be defined as one of the common types of cancer that affects
approximately 68,000 adults within the United States of America annually (Kamat et al.).
Bladder Cancer mostly manifests in men than in women and can even affect older adults. The
cancer usually manifests within the urothelial cells that underline the inner side of the urinary
bladder which is responsible for storing urine. Research studies show that the cancer can also
manifest within other organs of the urinary tract. Epidemiological studies suggest that bladder
cancer is the fifth common cancer in Canada and is the most expensive cancer to treat.
Further, research studies also suggest that non-muscle invasive cancer has a recurrence rate of
almost 60% to 70% within Canada (Kassouf et al.). At present, Canada houses more than
80,000 bladder cancer survivors. It is further expected that almost 9000 people would be
diagnosed with bladder cancer in the following years (Kassouf et al.).
Body:
Signs and Symptoms:
As per Antoni et al. the most common signs and symptoms of bladder cancer include
the presence of blood in the urine (hematuria), experiencing pain while urinating and
experiencing intense pelvic pain.
The urine is expected to appear bright red in colour or the colour of cola if the patient
is suffering from hematuria. It is also possible that there is no presence of blood within the
urine but the patients suffering from bladder cancer also experience radiating back pain and
frequent urge to urinate (Knowles and Carolyn).

2MEDICAL ASSIGNMENT
Types of patient it affects:
Research studies mention that there is a huge probability that men would be
diagnosed with bladder cancer. A number of risk factors such as smoking increases the risk of
developing bladder cancer. In addition to this, advancing age, being white skinned as well as
exposure to chemicals such as arsenic, rubber and leather increases the risk of acquiring
bladder cancer. Previous family history of bladder cancer, chronic inflammation of the
bladder and previous history of cancer treatment also increases the probability of acquiring
bladder cancer.
Treatment:
Treatment options for bladder cancer include options such as surgical removal of
cancerous tissues, intravesical chemotherapy for the treatment of chemotherapy, radiation
therapy, immunotherapy and systemic chemotherapy (Sanli et al.). Intravesical chemotherapy
assist with the removal of cancerous tissues within the lining of the bladder but has high risks
of recurrent occurrence and progressing to an advanced stage. Reconstruction is the
procedure of creating a new opening for the urine to leave the body after the removal of
urinary bladder. Radiation therapy is used for damaging the cancerous cells when surgery is
not a feasible option. Immunotherapy on the other hand includes triggering the body’s
immune system for destroying cancerous cells within the bladder or throughout the entire
body.
Lifestyle Changes:
Lifestyle changes such as optimising the immune system of the body by maintaining a
healthy diet and exercising regularly can help in reducing the risk of acquiring bladder
cancer. Further, quitting smoking and maintaining a hygienic lifestyle can help in reducing
the risk of developing bladder cancer (Knowles and Carolyn).

3MEDICAL ASSIGNMENT
Conclusion:
Therefore, to conclude it can be mentioned that bladder cancer is one of the fatal
cancers that affects a major proportion of the Canadian population base. The problem is more
common in men and involves the most expensive cancer treatment. Maintaining a healthy
lifestyle can reduce the risk of acquiring bladder cancer.

4MEDICAL ASSIGNMENT
References:
Antoni, Sebastien, et al. "Bladder cancer incidence and mortality: a global overview and
recent trends." European urology 71.1 (2017): 96-108.
Kamat, Ashish M., et al. "Bladder cancer." The Lancet388.10061 (2016): 2796-2810.
Kassouf, Wassim, et al. "Recommendations for the improvement of bladder cancer quality of
care in Canada: A consensus document reviewed and endorsed by Bladder Cancer Canada
(BCC), Canadian Urologic Oncology Group (CUOG), and Canadian Urological Association
(CUA), December 2015." Canadian Urological Association Journal 10.1-2 (2016): E46.
Knowles, Margaret A., and Carolyn D. Hurst. "Molecular biology of bladder cancer: new
insights into pathogenesis and clinical diversity." Nature Reviews Cancer 15.1 (2015): 25.
Sanli, Oner, et al. "Bladder cancer." Nature reviews Disease primers 3 (2017): 17022.