More awareness of bladder cancer

“The malignant changes usually start from the urothelium. That’s what the inner lining or the mucous membrane of the bladder is called,” says Katrin Mayrhofer, senior physician at the Department of Urology at the Wels-Grieskirchen Clinic. “However, there are also rare forms of bladder cancer that can develop in the muscle layers or in the connective tissue of the bladder.”

Bladder cancer accounts for about five percent of all malignant tumor diseases in Europe. In Austria around 1500 people fall ill with it every year. “The average age at onset is 70 to 75 years,” says the urologist. Men are four times more likely to be affected than women. “Smokers are particularly at risk. Around half of all cases can be attributed to tobacco use.” The risk group also includes people who work with certain chemicals, such as those found in dyes and paints, in petroleum products or in metal processing.

Often undiscovered for a long time

Symptoms that occur are often initially attributed to a urinary tract infection. This can delay the actual diagnosis. “This can be, for example, frequent and difficult urination or sometimes involuntary loss of urine,” says Mayrhofer. “The most important feature, however, is painless, visible blood in the urine. You should react immediately and seek medical help! If necessary, you will be referred to a specialist or the hospital for further examinations.”

Thorough questioning and a physical examination are important for the diagnosis. A urine strip test provides information about blood in the urine. “Sometimes this is microscopically small and therefore not visible to the naked eye,” says the expert.

“In addition to an ultrasound of the bladder and kidneys, if bladder cancer is suspected, a cystoscopy is also performed – this is a relatively short and usually not painful examination in which you can assess the inner walls of the organ and look for suspicious spots .”

Treatment for bladder cancer depends on the stage of the disease. “Superficial tumors can usually be removed by surgery,” says Mayrhofer. “If the disease is advanced, there are other options such as surgical removal of the bladder and radiation, chemotherapy or immunotherapy.”

Advantage through early detection

At the Friday, September 8th, the bladder cancer bus stops at the Wels-Grieskirchen clinic. According to the motto “Gain a head start – together against bladder cancer”, doctors and the bladder cancer roadshow are calling for more awareness. On this day you can of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m comprehensive information directly in front of the main entrance of the Wels clinic site.

Experts advise on risk factors, warning signs, prognosis and treatment. This increases awareness of the disease and valuable time can be gained. After all, the earlier bladder cancer is detected, the better the chances of recovery and survival can be for those affected.