Hematology & Oncology

Bladder Cancer Symptoms and Risk Factors

The first sign and most common symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine.  The amount of blood may be small or large, causing your urine to appear orange, pink, or darker red.  Blood in the urine may clear up for weeks or months, but if you do have bladder cancer, the blood will often reappear. 
Other symptoms of bladder cancer include:

• Having to pee more often than normal
• Pain or burning when you pee
• Pink or red urine
• Feeling like you have to pee, but nothing comes out

Having these symptoms doesn’t always mean you have bladder cancer.  There are a number of non-cancerous conditions that also cause these symptoms.  It is important to check with your doctor if you start to experience the symptoms listed above so they can offer the most accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.
As bladder cancer begins to progress, some people may experience some of the following symptoms:

• Pain in the lower back
• Not being able to pee at all
• Not feeling hungry
• Losing weight
• Extreme tiredness
• Pain in your bones

Please see your doctor if you experience these symptoms.  There are numerous tests they can perform to determine if it is bladder cancer or another condition. 

There are numerous factors that may increase a person’s risk for bladder cancer.  These factors include:

• Smoking
• Old age
• Male gender
• Exposure to harmful chemicals (arsenic, dyes, etc.)
• Chronic inflammation of the bladder
• Family history of cancer