Bladder Cancer Treatment in St. Petersburg, FL

Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men. It’s estimated that about 59,000 men are diagnosed with bladder cancer each year, as of 2016. Unlike some other cancers like that of the prostate, which tends to be more genetically caused, bladder cancer can be preventable. However, if not treated early, bladder cancer can easily spread to lymph nodes of the pelvis, abdomen, or even the neck.

Looking for a highly trained urologist specializing in bladder cancer surgery in St Petersburg, Florida? Contact urologist Eric Diner, MD today! Dr. Diner has over 17 years of experience helping patients with bladder cancer diagnosis and treatment, and is board-certified by the American Board of Urology. Give our urology clinic in St. Petersburg a call at (727) 824-7146 to get started.

What Are the Risk Factors for Bladder Cancer?

There are some risk factors for bladder cancer that can be avoided, and some that cannot. Risk factors include:

• Family history
• Age (most men are diagnosed over the age of 70)
• Smoking
• Exposure to certain chemicals, such as those in dyes, paint, and textiles
• Being a white male

Age and smoking are actually the two biggest risk factors of bladder cancer. Quitting smoking alone can decrease your chances of getting bladder cancer, along with other medical issues and cancers, tremendously. The biggest cause of bladder cancer is your body being exposed to various chemicals that can’t be properly filtered out through your kidney. This is true for the chemicals in cigarettes, cigars, and pipe tobacco as well as being exposed to other chemicals such as those in the print or textile industry for people working near dyes and paint.

What Are the Symptoms of Bladder Cancer?

Symptoms of bladder cancer include:

• Blood in urine
• Frequent urination
• Painful urination
• Back and pelvic pain

The most common symptom is blood in urine. Most of these symptoms can also indicate a urinary tract infection and other urinary disorders, therefore it’s important to talk with Dr. Diner about all of the symptoms you encounter.

Bladder Cancer Diagnosis in St. Petersburg, FL

If you experience these symptoms and have multiple risk factors, Dr. Diner will usually conduct a few different diagnostic tests at his urology clinic in St. Petersburg, Florida. Some general tests include a urine analysis and biopsy. In some cases, he will conduct a cystoscopy (inserting a tube with a camera into your bladder), or imaging tests. However, imaging tests are usually done once a case of bladder cancer has already been confirmed and staging needs to be determined.

Bladder Cancer Treatment

Treatment for bladder cancer will often include surgery. Whether it’s surgery to just remove the tumor or to remove the tumor and surrounding tissue depends on the staging of the patient’s bladder cancer. This surgery is called a cystectomy. In some extreme cases, the entire bladder may need to be removed. However, if caught early enough, immunotherapy or radiation therapy options may be available.