Yourbladderis the organ located in the urinary tract.
The bladder collects urine and stores it until youre ready to release it.
These two conditions have some overlapping symptoms, but bladder infections are much more common.
Verywell / Shideh Ghandeharizadeh
It will highlight how these two conditions differ and the easiest ways to tell them apart.
Symptoms
Symptoms of bladder cancer and bladder infection can be quite similar.
Symptoms of Bladder Infection
The main symptom of abladder infectionis a burning feeling when you urinate.
The most common symptom of bladder cancer is a change in the color of your urine.
This growth can disrupt the normal functioning of the bladder and other essential organ systems.
If untreated, bladder cancer can be deadly.
The infection causes inflammation and disrupts the normal working of the urinary tract.
If left untreated, these infections can also spread to the kidneys, which is more dangerous and painful.
Bladder infections are brought on by bacteria from other parts of the body entering the urinary tract.
In females, this bacteria typically comes from the vagina or the bowel.
In males, bladder infections are usually due to issues like enlarged prostate, which restrict normal urine flow.
Theyll likely also perform a physical exam.
A culture takes 24 hours or more.
These tests include using a lighted camera instrument to visualize inside the urinary tract, a procedure called acystoscopy.
Its also possible the medical professional would order a biopsy of the bladder during the cystoscopy exam.
The surgeon may even remove the entire tumor.
A specialist doctor called apathologistthen looks at the cells in the biopsy sample for signs of cancer.
Treatment
Treatments for bladder infection are very different than treatment for bladder cancer.
Radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy (includingBCG), and targeted therapy may also be used.
Depending on how advanced bladder cancer is when first diagnosed, an oncologist will prescribe differenttreatments.
you could help your bladder infection heal more quickly by drinking a lot of water and urinating often.
Also, use a heating pad to ease any discomfort you may be feeling in your back or abdomen.
It may bedue to differences in your genesor exposure to specific cancer treatments.
There are some potentially preventable risk factors for bladder cancer.
Bladder infections are triggered by germs, usually bacteria, and can be diagnosed with urinalysis and urine culture.
Treatment is usually with antibiotics.
Bladder cancer is triggered by cells undergoing changes that result in them growing out of control.
Tests for it include a urinalysis, but a biopsy is needed to make a diagnosis.
It can be treated with surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy (includingBCG), and targeted therapy.
About 84,000 people develop bladder cancer every year, according to the National Cancer Institute’s SEER database.
That means 2.4% of people will get bladder cancer during their lives.
Bladder infections are much more common than bladder cancer.
Between 40% and 60% of women develop a UTI at some point in their lives.
Whatever is causing your bladder condition, see your healthcare professional so you get the correct treatment.
These infections can include urinary tract infections or bladder infections.
When comparing urinary tract infection (UTI) and bladder cancer there are many overlapping symptoms.
Frequent bladder infections can have many causes.
If hygiene and lifestyle interventions dont help, its possibly just due to anatomy.
That makes bladder infections more common in women.
Males are actually more likely to get bladder cancer than females.
Bladder infections cant become cancer.
The research into bacterial causes of UTIs and their role in the development of bladder cancer is still unclear.
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes.
American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer signs and symptoms.
University of Rochester Medical Center.Could persistent UTI-like symptoms be bladder cancer?.
National Cancer Institute.Bladder cancer treatment (PDQ)patient version - national.
National Cancer Institute.Bladder and other urothelial cancers screening (PDQ)health professional version.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Definition & facts.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diagnosis.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment.
National Cancer Institute.Bladder cancer cancer stat facts.
American Cancer Society.Why people with cancer are more likely to get infections.
2018;36(8):1181-1190. doi:10.1007/s00345-018-2257-z
