Written by Dr. Aisha Harris
Featured photo: Dr. Aisha Harris, provided by Dr. Harris
Unfortunately, cancer can happen to every part of the body. Recently, Deion Sanders shared he had his bladder removed because he was diagnosed with bladder cancer.
Bladder cancer does not get the attention of breast, colon, prostate and lung cancer, which have screening recommendations.
Bladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the U.S. The bladder is the organ that holds urine before you urinate, but after the kidneys have made urine. So, when abnormal cells develop in the bladder tissue they can become cancer cells.
Men are more likely to get bladder cancer, and the survival rate increases depending on how soon it a person gets a bladder cancer diagnosis.
The most common symptom is blood in the urine, which shows as a reddish urine if it’s obvious, but also can be seen on a tiny level through urine tests. Other symptoms include pain with urinating, frequent urination, back pain and frequent urinary tract infections.
The most common risk factor is smoking cigarettes, which increases the risk by three times. Age also increases a person’s risk of bladder cancer because most people diagnosed with bladder cancer are over 55 years ago. Chemical exposures in the blood stream can also increase the risk of developing bladder cancer because the bladder helps the body remove filtered molecules and particles.
If there is a concern from bladder cancer, seeing your primary care doctor is the start. You may also get a referral to a urologist to get bladder imaging which is helpful to see inside the bladder and check the risk for abnormal bladder tissue.
The earlier bladder cancer is found, the sooner treatment options can be provided, which may include bladder removal surgery.
So, the hope is that people do not get cancer, but the reality is some people will.
Specifically for bladder cancer it is important to just check your urine and see if it looks different in the toilet. It is important to try to stop smoking, which increases someone’s risk of a lot of cancers in general. It is also important to go to the doctor because something going away doesn’t mean nothing big is going on, nor that you’re healthy.
Dr. Aisha Harris, MD, is a Flint native and board-certified family medicine doctor at Harris Family Health in Flint, Michigan. Harris Family Health is a membership-based clinic that provides personalized and full primary care to adults and children. Learn more about Harris Family Health by visiting www.harrisfamilyhealth.com.
Feel free to submit health questions to Dr. Harris via theflintcouriernews@gmail.com.
