Bladder Cancer

Bladder Cancer occurs in the 5th decade and is twice as common in Caucasian males. It is a particularly insidious type of cancer, for its ONE AND ONLY SYMPTOM is the presence of blood in the urine, the so-called hematuria. In more rare cases, it may be accompanied with urinary frequency, urgency and burning sensation.

There is no established way proven to surely help people in preventing bladder cancer. However, there are some measures that might reduce the risk for its development. Exposure to noxious chemicals (smoking, unhealthy nutrition, contaminated water or toxic working environment) increases the risk for this insidious and difficult to treat type of cancer. Toxic substances are absorbed by blood, pass through kidneys and are eliminated from the body through urine. Urine containing toxic substances accumulates in the bladder and stays there until there is quite enough urine output to induce desire to urinate. Some potential preventive measures could be the following: 

  • Avoid or give up smoking. When burning, tobacco produces many toxic substances which act on the bladder and increase the risk for developing bladder cancer by 2-3 times.
  • Reduce or avoid direct exposure to toxic chemicals. In case your working environment is toxic, alsways use the appropriate equipment (gloves, mask). People exposed to noxious chemicals are workers in the rubber, chemical, leather, textile, dye and paint industries, as well as hairdressers, metal workers, printers and drycleaners.
  • Drink water throughout the day.  In this way, toxic substances in the urine are diluted and more easily eliminated from the body. 
  • Drink bottled water, in case you do not trust the safety of your district water supply network. Arsenic, which is a chemical element traced sometimes in water samples, has been found to be carcinogenic. 
  • Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. Antioxidants contained in fruit and vegetables have been shown to reduce the risk for cancer development.  
  • Prefer biological products. No chemicals are used for the cultivation of biological products.
  • In case you see blood or even a slightly pink color in your urine, you should immediately visit your Urologist!