Bladder Cancer Awareness Month: Signs and symptoms of Bladder Cancer

To conclude Bladder Cancer Awareness Month, we remind you of the signs and symptoms to look out for:

Bladder Cancer

• The main symptom of bladder cancer is the presence of blood in the urine – even just once. Urine could look red, pink or brown/rusty coloured. Sometimes blood might not be visible to the naked eye and can only be found if a urine sample is tested by your GP
• Do not ignore presence of blood in the urine! It could be just once and/or only a little. Even if it goes away, it doesn’t mean that everything is fine. In women, things can be trickier as the periods might be masking blood in the urine
• Do not wait, do not hesitate – ask for help, check with your GP
• Other symptoms of bladder cancer include: frequent and/or urgent need to pass urine, pain or burning sensation when passing urine, unexplained weight loss, lower back or abdominal pain, feeling tired and finally, urinary tract infections that won’t go away or keep coming back despite antibiotics
• Remember: all these symptoms could be caused by something else other than bladder cancer. Most people with these symptoms do not have bladder cancer

Always check with your GP when something does not look or does not feel normal.  An early diagnosis can potentially save your life.