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Bladder Cancer Screening

Experts at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University can detect early-stage bladder cancer with proper screening for high-risk individuals. Find out if you qualify.

Screening for Bladder Cancer

While there are currently no bladder cancer screening guidelines for people at average risk of the disease, the American Urologic Association provides primary care doctors and urologists with extensive guidelines for evaluating higher-risk patients experiencing symptoms such as blood in their urine, a potential sign of cancer or precancerous growth.

How to Detect Bladder Cancer Early

Winship and the American Cancer Society recommend people at high risk of developing bladder cancer have regular visits with their doctors to check for signs of cancer. Those at high risk include people who:

  • Have previously been diagnosed with bladder cancer
  • Have visible or microscopic blood in the urine
  • Are smokers
  • Are exposed to certain chemicals at work, including dyes, rubber and paint

High-risk individuals should work with their urologist to determine how often they should receive a test to check for cancer.

Bladder Cancer Screening Tests

If you’re at high risk for bladder cancer, your physician will recommend screening for the disease with one or more of the following tests:

  • Urinalysis. This routine urine test looks for microscopic blood in the urine, which can be an early sign of bladder cancer. Of course, there are lots of other reasons for blood in the urine as well, so urinalysis may require follow-up testing.
  • Urine cytology. This test uses a microscope to look for cancer cells in the urine.
  • Urine tests for tumor markers. These newer tests look for signs of cancer in the urine, such as chromosomal changes, and certain proteins and antigens.

Bladder Cancer Symptoms

The first sign of bladder cancer is blood in the urine. It could be enough blood to turn the urine orange, pink or dark red, although often early-stage bladder cancer only produces microscopic amounts of blood in the urine.

Other symptoms of bladder cancer include changes in urinary habits, such as:

  • Urinating more frequently
  • Pain or burning during urination
  • Urgency (feeling as though you need to go right away, even when your bladder isn’t full)
  • Having trouble urinating or having a weak stream

These symptoms, including blood in the urine, can be caused by several urologic conditions, including urinary infection, benign (not cancerous) tumors, kidney or bladder stones, and other kidney diseases. Experiencing these symptoms does not mean you have bladder cancer. Still, it is important to tell your doctor right away so you can get an accurate diagnosis and the appropriate treatment. The sooner bladder cancer is diagnosed, the better your prognosis will be.

More-advanced bladder cancers may cause the following symptoms, which should be checked right away:

  • Inability to urinate
  • Lower back pain on one side
  • Loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss
  • Feeling tired or weak
  • Swelling in the feet
  • Bone pain

Future of Bladder Cancer Screening

Researchers at Winship are currently studying the potential of urine and blood-based tests to screen for bladder and other cancers. Once developed, a blood test could be used to detect bladder cancer in high-risk individuals at earlier stages. Winship genitourinary cancer researchers and scientists are leading the way and changing how the world prevents, detects, diagnoses, treats and survives bladder cancers.