Understanding Bladder Cancer (NAPSA)—Learning about bladder cancer—the fourth most preva- lent cancer in men—mayhelp pro- tect you from it. That’s because the key to treating the disease is early detection. In fact, if caught early, bladder cancer has a 90 percent five-year survival rate. The newsis significant, considering that the American Cancer Society estimates there were about 60,000 new cases of bladder cancer diagnosed in 2004 alone. Statistics also show that every day, 165 adults are diagnosed with bladder cancer, and 35 die from the disease. About Bladder Cancer Bladder cancer has the highest recurrence rate of all cancers. It generally begins in the lining layer of the bladder and eventually reaches the bladder wall. Doctors often base their diagnosis of the cancer (in termsof its seriousness) on which layer of the bladder the cancer has reached. Who’s At Risk The canceris about three times more common in men than in women, but women have a much higher mortality rate. The cancer has strong links to smoking and can occur long after a person quits smoking. Such was the case for James Rodriguez, who was a heavy smoker for five years in his 20s. Now at 50 he has bladder cancer. His doctors say the cancer was caused by his smoking. What Are The Symptoms Of Bladder Cancer? A telltale symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine. Anotheris frequent urination and a burning sensation during urination. “I experienced all three The FDA recently approved the NMP22 BladderChek to help diagnose and monitor patients with bladder cancer. The test requires just a few drops of urine. symptoms,” says Rodriguez. “And they shouldn’t be ignored.” It’s important to see your doctor if you have anyof the symptoms. How Is Bladder Cancer Treated? Tremendous advances have been madein bladder cancer diag- nosis. For instance, the FDA recently approved the NMP22 BladderChek Test to help diagnose and monitor patients with bladder cancer. The noninvasive test is performed in the physician’s office and requires just a few drops of urine to be placed on a disposable test cartridge. The test provides results within 30 minutes and is a starting point for diagnosing and monitoring bladdercancer. For more information about bladder cancer, talk to your urologist or visit the Web site www.matritech.com.
