Bladder cancer
TURBT, intravesical therapy and radical cystectomy with urinary diversion, staged properly from the outset.
What it is
Painless visible blood in the urine is the classic presentation of bladder cancer, and it is the single symptom that should never be dismissed — even if it happens once and then stops.
Most bladder cancers are superficial at diagnosis and can be managed by resection through a scope with follow-up surveillance. A minority invade the bladder muscle and need more definitive treatment, which makes accurate initial staging critical.
Symptoms you may notice
- Blood in the urine, typically painless
- Needing to pass urine urgently or frequently
- Burning on passing urine without an infection
- Recurrent urinary infections that keep coming back
- Pelvic pain in advanced disease
Get seen promptly if
- Any episode of visible blood in the urine
- Microscopic blood found on repeated testing
- Irritative symptoms with a negative urine culture
How it is assessed
- Urine cytology
- Flexible cystoscopy under local anaesthetic
- CT urogram to assess the upper tracts
- TURBT with detrusor muscle in the specimen, for accurate staging
- MRI or PET where muscle invasion is suspected
What the options actually involve
Other conditions
Prostate enlargement (BPH)
Medical therapy through to laser enucleation and TURP, chosen against your symptom burden rather than prostate size alone.
Symptoms and treatmentUrinary incontinence & overactive bladder
Stress incontinence, urge urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, prolapse and pelvic floor assessment for women of every age.
Symptoms and treatmentUrethral stricture & genitourinary fistula
Urethroplasty and fistula repair, including redo cases referred after a previous repair has failed.
Symptoms and treatmentHave a scan or report about this already?
Send it before your appointment. The consultation then starts from your findings rather than from scratch.