Bladder Cancer Symptoms can be Mistaken for those of a Minor Infection

The bladder is a balloon-shaped organ in the pelvic region that stores urine. Bladder cancer can have some obvious signs and symptoms which help its diagnosis at an early stage, and is a condition that is fully treatable. This however does not rule out the possibility of recurrence of the cancer, even if it was diagnosed and treated at an early stage.

Changes in the DNA contained in the bladder cells can cause them to grow abnormally into cancer. The genes may need to undergo several cycles of changes to turn into cancerous genes. DNA changes that trigger oncogenes or cause cell division to slow down, may also cause cancer.

Even though bladder cancer is not inherited through genes, it is possible that they inherit a low capacity to detoxify or break down certain cancerous chemicals in the body. This may reduce the person's ability to fight cancer, and increase its risk to recur during his lifetime.

Risk Factors

The apparent causes of blood cancer remain unclear, but there are certain risk factors that are known to attribute to its origin. Some of these include:

· Smoking

· Exposure to toxic chemicals at the workplace

· Demographic factors (age, gender, race and ethnicity)

· Chronic bladder infections and/or irritations

· Previous history of urothelial or bladder cancer

· Increased exposure to chemotherapy and radiations

· Bladder defects at birth

· Consumption of arsenic content in drinking water

· Family and genetic history

· Low fluid intake

· Consumption of certain medications and herbal supplements (herbs belonging to the aristolochia family increase the risks of cancer)

Diagnosing Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer can be tested based on a few external signs and symptoms:

· Blood in urine

· Irritation in the bladder

· Changes in bladder behaviors

· Urinating more frequently than usual

· Burning sensation and pain while urinating

· The urgency to urinate, even when the bladder is not full

When bladder cancer has grown to an advanced stage, or has spread to any other part(s) of the body, the patient may experience inability to urinate, pain on one side of his lower back, weight loss and diminishing appetite, bone ache, and swollen feet.

Based on these signs and symptoms, the physician may require any of the following tests to be conducted immediately to detect bladder cancer:

· Cystoscopy

· Urine cytology

· Marker tests

· Urine culture

· Biopsy

· CT scan

· MRI

· Bone scan

· Ultrasound

· Chest X-ray

· Retrograde pyelogram

Misdiagnosis of Bladder Cancer and Legal Aid

The physician may fail to recognize and correctly diagnose bladder cancer due to various reasons. The symptoms can be mistaken for those of a minor infection. Sometimes, a small act of negligence may cause the lab test results of different patients to get mixed up, or the technician may misread the results of the test while preparing the report. Such errors could lead to misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of bladder cancer, which could have a catastrophic impact on the patient.

RMFW Law has law offices located in Astoria, Queens, New York City and two locations in Brooklyn.

The New York City medical malpractice attorneys understand the severity of such an event in your life, and have the expertise to fight your healthcare providers to yield the highest compensation for you. Call now: 212-344-1000. Your initial consultation is free.

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