Symptoms

The most common symptoms of bladder cancer include:

• Blood or blood clots in the urine (hematuria). Hematuria occurs in 8 or 9 out of 10 people who have bladder cancer and is the most common symptom. Usually it is not painful.
• Pain during urination (dysuria).
• Urinating small amounts frequently.
• Frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Symptoms that may indicate more advanced bladder cancer include:

• Pain in the lower back around the kidneys (flank pain).
• Swelling in the lower legs.
• A growth in the pelvis near the bladder (pelvic mass).

Other symptoms that may develop when bladder cancer has spread include:

• Weight loss.
• Bone pain or pain in the rectal, anal, or pelvic area.
• Anemia.

The symptoms of bladder cancer may be similar to symptoms of other bladder conditions.

What Happens

Bladder cancer is the rapid, uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the bladder. Cancer usually begins in the lining of the bladder. The cancerous cells may spread through the lining into the muscular wall of the bladder.

Invasive bladder cancer may spread to lymph nodes, other organs in the pelvis (causing problems with kidney and bowel function), or other organs in the body, such as the liver and lungs.

Your treatment will depend on how far the cancer has spread.

Most bladder cancer is found early, before it has spread into the bladder wall. Surgery can usually remove these tumors. But bladder cancer often comes back, so you may also get other treatments, such as chemotherapy or immunotherapy, to lower the chances of that happening.