Bladder cancer is a common type of cancer that begins in the cells of the bladder. The bladder is a hollow muscular organ in your lower abdomen that stores urine.

Bladder cancer most often begins in the cells (urothelial cells) that line the inside of your bladder. Urothelial cells are also found in your kidneys and the tubes (ureters) that connect the kidneys to the bladder. Urothelial cancer can happen in the kidneys and ureters, too, but it's much more common in the bladder.

Most bladder cancers are diagnosed at an early stage, when the cancer is highly treatable. But even early-stage bladder cancers can come back after successful treatment. For this reason, people with bladder cancer typically need follow-up tests for years after treatment to look for bladder cancer that recurs.

With bladder cancer, many people experience blood in urine but pain while urinating. You should pay attention if any of the following symptoms occur:

Fatigue, weight loss, and bone tenderness indicate more advanced disease. If you notice discoloured or blood stains in your urine,

• Urine analysis, also called urine cytology
• Imaging tests like X-ray, a CT urogram or retrograde pyelogram
• An internal physical examination
• Cystoscopy in which a narrow tube with an inbuilt camera is inserted in your bladder through your urethra
• A biopsy of a small sample of your bladder tissue to check for cancer
• CT scan
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Positron emission tomography (PET)
• Bone scan
• Chest X-ray

Bladder cancer begins when cells in the bladder develop changes (mutations) in their DNA. A cell's DNA contains instructions that tell the cell what to do. The changes tell the cell to multiply rapidly and to go on living when healthy cells would die. The abnormal cells form a tumor that can invade and destroy normal body tissue. In time, the abnormal cells can break away and spread (metastasize) through the body.

Factors that may increase bladder cancer risk include:

• Smoking: Smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes may increase the risk of bladder cancer by causing harmful chemicals to accumulate in the urine. When you smoke, your body processes the chemicals in the smoke and excretes some of them in your urine. These harmful chemicals may damage the lining of your bladder, which can increase your risk of cancer.
• Increasing Age: Bladder Cancer risk increases as you age. Though it can occur at any age, most people diagnosed with bladder cancer are older than 55.
• Being Male: Men are more likely to develop bladder cancer than women are.
• Exposure to Certain Chemicals: Your kidneys play a key role in filtering harmful chemicals from your bloodstream and moving them into your bladder. Because of this, it's thought that being around certain chemicals may increase the risk of bladder cancer. Chemicals linked to bladder cancer risk include arsenic and chemicals used in the manufacture of dyes, rubber, leather, textiles and paint products.
• Previous Cancer Treatment: Treatment with the anti-cancer drug cyclophosphamide increases the risk of bladder cancer. People who received radiation treatments aimed at the pelvis for a previous cancer have a higher risk of developing bladder cancer.
• Chronic Bladder Inflammation: Chronic or repeated urinary infections or inflammations (cystitis), such as might happen with long-term use of a urinary catheter, may increase the risk of a squamous cell bladder cancer. In some areas of the world, squamous cell carcinoma is linked to chronic bladder inflammation caused by the parasitic infection known as schistosomiasis.
• Personal or family history of Cancer: If you've had bladder cancer, you're more likely to get it again. If one of your blood relatives — a parent, sibling or child — has a history of bladder cancer, you may have an increased risk of the disease, although it's rare for bladder cancer to run in families. A family history of Lynch syndrome, also known as hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), can increase the risk of cancer in the urinary system, as well as in the colon, uterus, ovaries and other organs.

If diagnosed early and treated on time, bladder cancer has the highest chances of cure. Stage 1 bladder cancer have 88% cure rate. Dr. Shashikant Gupta might recommend a test to examine the inside of your urethra and bladder (cystoscopy) every three to six months for the first few years after bladder cancer treatment. After a few uneventful years, you may need a cystoscopy exam only once a year. He may recommend other tests at regular intervals as well.