Bladder cancer

There were 231 cases of bladder cancer diagnosed in Northern Ireland in 2017. Bladder cancer affects men and women, although it is more common in men and more common in the over 50 age group. The earlier a cancer is picked up, the easier it is to treat it and the more likely the treatment is to be successful.

Signs and symptoms

The most common early symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine.

There can be other symptoms of bladder cancer that include:

  • needing to pass urine very often (frequency);
  • needing to pass urine very suddenly (urgency);
  • pain when passing urine.

Sometimes these symptoms may be caused by infection or kidney or bladder stones. If you experience any of these symptoms, it is important that you see your GP. 

Resources

There are a number of websites that provide information relating to bladder cancer, these include:

This is not an exhaustive list and other sources of support in Northern Ireland can also be accessed via Northern Ireland Cancer Network and Useful links | Be Cancer Aware.

Signs and symptoms