Bladder Cancer

Cancer in general is a scary thing that so many of us worry about but bladder cancer is often a mystery to many people. This is pretty surprising since the American Cancer Society estimates that in 2016 alone there were over 76,000 new cases of bladder cancer with over 16,000 deaths caused from it. Of those 76,000 new cases almost 59,000 were in men.

Avoiding Bladder Cancer

Like many cancers, researchers don't know what causes bladder cancer. Chances are good that there is no one single cause but a combination of lifestyle choices that lead up to its development. With that in mind, ways you can lower your risk are:

Stop smoking! It's been suggested that half of all bladder cancers could be caused by smoking.

Watch chemicals in the workplaces. Certain chemicals in the rubber, leather, printing, textile, and painting industries may put you at risk.

Drinking plenty water may also help lower your risk. Besides, water does so many great things for you as we cover in the Top 8 Health Benefits Of Water.

Signs Of Bladder Cancer

There are some signs to look out for when it comes to this potentially deadly cancer, and those include:

Blood in your urine, which is certainly never good.

Greater frequency of urination.

Pain while urinating.

Weak urine stream or other trouble urinating.

Of course, if you have urination issues or concerns (cancer or otherwise) you should see a doctor right away.

Treatment Options

The good news is that there are treatment options available for bladder cancer but the key will be detecting it early on. Treatments include surgery, intravesical therapy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy. Still, the statistics can be a little frightening when you consider that men have a 1 in 26 chance of developing it and women have 1 in 88 chance. It does tend to impact older people with 90% being 55 or over and the average age of diagnosis being 73. Live healthy (see A Healthy Lifestyle - Where Do You Start?) and get regular checkups so you can catch this one early.