What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Bladder Cancer in a Man?

Cancer of the bladder is more prevalent in industrialized countries and it is also more common in men than in women. According to urologychannel.com, bladder cancer is the fourth-most-common cancer in men in the U.S., with 38,000 cases annually, compared with only 15,000 in women. Bladder cancer symptoms are the same for men and women, and they mostly involve pain and changes in urinary function.

Blood in Urine

• This symptom, called hematuria, is a prime sign of bladder cancer and should not be ignored. Blood in your urine is never normal, and you should see a doctor right away if you experience this symptom. Urine that is dark yellow, red or cola-colored is an indication that blood may be present, according to the Mayo Clinic. Urologychannel.com says doctors always consider bladder cancer a possibility in patients who have bloody urine accompanied by a lack of pain. Blood can also be present in the urine and not be noticeable to the naked eye. In this case, the blood can only be detected through microscopic examination in a lab. According to WebMD, blood in the urine is present in 80 to 90 percent of bladder cancer cases.

Pain

• Pain while urinating, called dysuria, is another possible symptom of bladder cancer that you should not ignore. The pain could be from a urinary tract infection, which is common in bladder cancer, according to WebMD. Bladder cancer can also cause pain in the abdomen or back, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Frequent Urination

• Bladder cancer can cause you to need to urinate frequently (called dysuria), although you will usually produce only small amounts of or no urine.

Other Symptoms

• A lump or mass in your pelvis and swelling in your lower legs may be signs of advanced bladder cancer, according to WebMD. Bladder cancer may also produce other symptoms once it has spread, including weight loss, anemia, and bone pain in the pelvic and rectal areas.