Bladder cancer is often mistaken for UTIs, these are the 'painless' symptoms you should never ignore
Topics: Cancer, Women's Health, Health, Explained, Advice
Rhiannon Ingle
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
Topics: Cancer, Women's Health, Health, Explained, Advice
Bladder cancer is often mistaken for UTIs - these are the 'painless' symptoms you should never ignore.
Nearly four in 10 women with bladder cancer were initially told they had a urinary tract infection (UTI), according to a global survey of patients, given how many symptoms overlap.
"A UTI can cause burning when passing urine, urgency, frequency, lower abdominal discomfort and blood in the urine," consultant urologist Marc Laniado told Women's Health. "Bladder cancer can cause many of the same symptoms because the tumour irritates the bladder lining and may bleed."
That similarity means some women may be treated repeatedly for suspected UTIs before the real cause is identified.
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Around 10,900 people are diagnosed with bladder cancer in the UK each year, including around 3,000 women.
Although it's often thought of as a disease that mainly affects men, women can develop bladder cancer too and are more likely to experience delays in diagnosis because symptoms may be attributed to UTIs or other gynaecological issues.
Early diagnosis can make a major difference, as when bladder cancer is found before it spreads into the bladder muscle, treatment is often less invasive, and outcomes are generally better.
Laniado explains that 'UTIs are very common in women, so it’s understandable that a first episode is treated as an infection'.
The concern comes when symptoms don't improve, keep returning, or tests fail to confirm an infection.
"A genuine UTI should usually improve quickly with the right antibiotics. If symptoms persist, recur, or the urine test doesn’t actually show infection, we need to think again," he added.
The most common warning sign is blood in the urine, which is often painless.
It may appear pink, red, brown or cola-coloured and can come and go. Even if it disappears, it should never be ignored.
Other symptoms include:
More advanced bladder cancer can also cause tiredness, unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite and anaemia.
"One of the things that surprises patients is that bladder cancer often doesn’t hurt at first. I often say pain is not the symptom to wait for; blood is the symptom to act on," says Laniado.
Anyone who notices blood in their urine should seek medical advice, even if it only happens once.
You should also speak to your GP if you've been treated for a UTI and symptoms return, persist or repeatedly come back despite treatment.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.