The urinary tract is the system in the human body that produces and eliminates body waste and extra fluids from the blood. The urinary tract or urinary system consists of the kidneys, balder, uterus, and urethra.

A lot of people who experience painful and frequent urination, often jump to conclusions, considering it as bladder cancer or urinary tract infection (UTI). While both conditions share some common symptoms, they are very different diseases.

So, instead of assuming anything yourself, visit a doctor to determine if you have symptoms of bladder cancer or UTI. An expert bladder cancer surgeon in Delhi can efficiently differentiate these two diseases and accordingly suggest an effective treatment plan.

What is Bladder Cancer?

Bladder cancer is a form of cancer that occurs when cells in the bladder lining experience unusual changes that lead them to grow and divide rapidly. These surplus cells form tumours that can interrupt the usual bladder functionality and gradually spread through other body parts.

Bladder cancer is detected in both men and women, its prevalence is higher in men and especially, older adults. It has been studied that more than 90% of bladder cancer cases occurred in men aged 55 and above.

• Common Symptoms of Bladder Cancer
• Frequent urination
• Blood present in the urine (haematuria)
• Pain during urination
• Lower abdominal or pelvic pain

The intensity of these symptoms may vary and is often mistaken for that of less severe urinary conditions. That’s why it usually becomes difficult to identify bladder cancer at the early stage unless one visits a Uro oncologist in Delhi for diagnosis.

What Is a Urinary Tract Infection?

Urinary tract infections happen when bacteria break into the urinary tract through the urethra and infect any part of the urinary system, including the kidney, bladder, ureters, and urethra. Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the most common bacterium that causes UTIs. Women are more prone to this bacterial disease than men.

• Symptoms of a UTI
• A burning sensation during urination
• Frequent, persistent urge for urination, but small in amount
• Bladder spasms
• Bloody, dark, cloudy, cola-coloured or pink-tinged urine due to the presence of blood
• Odorous urine
• Pelvic or lower back pain, especially in women

The Differences Between Bladder Cancer and UTIs

Due to the presence of similar symptoms like painful urination and the presence of blood in the urine, it’s common to get confused between bladder cancer and UTIs. That’s why it’s important to visit a urologist or robotic bladder cancer doctor in Delhi as soon as one finds any of these symptoms for the right diagnosis and treatment.

Here are the basic differences between bladder cancer and UTIs –

Causes and Risk Factors:

• Bladder cancer occurs due to abnormal cell growth in the bladder that forms cancerous tumours, possibly from genetic mutation, smoking, exposure to harmful chemicals and other risk factors.
• UTIs occur when bacteria enter the urinary tract through the urethra, leading to infection.

Duration and Severity of Symptoms:

• Symptoms of bladder cancer gradually appear over time. The condition worsens even without an apparent infection if not treated at the right time.
• UTI symptoms usually start suddenly and become severe quickly. However, they improve with courses of antibiotics within a few days.

Presence of Blood in the Urine:

• While haematuria is common in both health conditions, the blood often comes with a burning sensation during urination in the case of UTIs.
• For bladder cancer, the burning sensation is less common.

Diagnosis and Tests:

For any urinary symptoms, you need to visit a Uro oncologist in Delhi who will likely begin with a urinalysis.

• For bladder cancer, urinalysis may display the presence of blood but not infection. Other tests like urine cytology, cystoscopy, imaging and biopsy need to be performed for the right diagnosis of bladder cancer.
• For UTIs, doctors often recommend urinalysis and urine culture to detect the presence of bacteria, infection and white blood cells.

Final Thought

While some UTIs can share symptoms with bladder cancer, not all UTIs lead to bladder cancer.

If you or your loved one experiences signs of a persistent or recurring urinary problem, don’t just assume it is another common infection. Instead, consult a good urologist. In the case of bladder cancer, you can definitely consider Dr Rajesh Taneja, the best robotic urologist surgeon in Delhi, for the right diagnosis and fast treatment.

FAQs:

Are recurrent UTIs a sign of bladder cancer?

Recurrent urinary tract infections may not directly cause bladder cancer, but they increase the potential risk of this cancer over time. Therefore, it’s important to see a good bladder cancer surgeon in Delhi for persistent and recurrent UTI problems.

What is the most common symptom of bladder cancer?

While the symptoms of bladder cancer may vary from person to person, the most common symptom is haematuria or the presence of blood in the urine but without feeling pain. Here, it’s important to remember that the same symptom also persists in UTIs. Hence, one should also consider other common symptoms like frequent and painful urination, pelvic or lower back pain and fatigue.

Is bladder cancer curable?

Yes, bladder cancer is often curable, especially with early detection and the right treatment. While early-stage bladder cancer or non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) has a high success rate of getting cured, advanced bladder cancer can also be curable.