Bladder cancer

Main article: Cancer (cancer)

Risk group

Experts explain that the main risk group is smokers, as well as people whose bodies are exposed to chemicals. As of 2018, men are given a similar diagnosis three times more often than women.

Bladder cancer can affect people of any age: it can develop in young people, and, as a rule, in the most aggressive form.

Symptoms

If we talk about symptoms, then doctors indicate:

• blood in urine,
• incontinence,
• abdominal pain,
• lower back (in the kidney region),
• discomfort with urination^[1].

Treatment

In the treatment of this type of cancer, there is an important problem - every second patient is contraindicated by standard therapy (chemotherapy based on platinum). And until 2018, patients had very few treatment options for the disease, and the prognosis of the outcome of the disease was very unfavorable. For almost 30 years, innovative drugs for the treatment of bladder cancer have not been registered in the world.

"Just 6 percent of patients with metastatic bladder cancer live more than five years. The main causes of high mortality are the aggressive course of the disease and limited access to innovative treatments. According to a survey of doctors, a third of patients with bladder cancer do not see a specialist for more than six months after the appearance of dangerous symptoms. At the same time at late stages the probability of a positive outcome significantly decreases", - Boris Alekseev, MD, professor, the deputy CEO for scientific work of Federal State Budgetary Institution NMIRC of the Russian Ministry of Health, the scientific secretary of the Russian society of onkourolog, the member of the European and International associations of urologists told in April, 2018.

He cites terrible figures as an example: every hour and a half, bladder cancer takes one life. In this regard, new therapy options are urgently needed.

"Today, with the advent of immunotherapy, there is an opportunity to defeat the disease, you need to use it, and positive results will not be long in coming," the scientist said.

History

2024: Nanorobots designed to reduce bladder tumor by 90%

On January 15, 2024, Spanish specialists from the Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona announced the development of a new technology for the treatment of malignant bladder lesions. We are talking about the use of special nanorobots working on urea.

Scientists note that bladder cancer is one of the most common types of neoplasms in the world: it is diagnosed in one in four cancer patients - men. Despite the relatively low mortality rate, almost half of such cases experience relapses within five years. Available treatments involving administration of drugs directly into the bladder show good survival rates but low therapeutic efficacy. Alternatively, it is proposed to use nanoparticles capable of delivering a therapeutic agent directly to the tumor.

Spanish specialists from the Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona announced the development of a new technology for the treatment of malignant bladder lesions

The nanomachines created are porous spheres made of silica, on the surface of which there are various components with certain functions. One of them is the enzyme urease - a protein that breaks down urea: the process is accompanied by the release of energy, which serves to move nanoparticles. Another key component is radioactive iodine, a radioisotope commonly used to locally treat tumors.

Experiments in mice showed that with a single therapy using nanorobots, the size of the bladder tumor is reduced by 90%. The results of the work open the way to more effective and less invasive treatment of malignancies of this type. The use of nanorobots will reduce the length of hospitalization, reduce treatment costs and increase the overall comfort of patients.^[2]

2023

Named the main causes of bladder cancer

On May 16, 2023, an international team of scientists released the results of a large-scale study on the causes of bladder cancer.

It is said that this type of neoplasm poses a serious problem for public health. In 2018, bladder cancer was the tenth most common type of malignant tumor on a global scale. According to GLOBOCAN statistics, in 2020, 573 thousand new cases of bladder cancer were registered worldwide, and the number of deaths from this disease reached 213 thousand.

Named the main causes of bladder cancer

The study involved specialists from the University of Sheffield, the University of Melbourne, the University of Vienna Medical University and other organizations. Approximately 50% of bladder cancers are reported to be triggered by tobacco smoking. E-cigarette vapors have also been found to contain a number of carcinogenic compounds. However, the relationship between the malignancies in question and alcohol is controversial.

Another significant risk factor is the various impacts associated with professional activities. This is the production of aluminum and rubber, fire extinguishing, work with paints and varnishes, textile production, dry cleaning, etc. Certain environmental factors, such as X-rays or gamma rays, also lead to the development of the disease. Among other things, the effects of drugs (cyclophosphamide and chlornaphasin), opium consumption and microbiome imbalance are named.

It is said that in some regions of the world there is an increase in morbidity and mortality as a result of bladder cancer. Differences in these rates may reflect different smoking patterns as well as different environmental factors.^[3]

Developed a test that detects bladder cancer 12 years before symptoms

On March 10, 2023, at the annual congress of the European Association of Urology (EAU) in Milan, the results of a study on the development of new methods for detecting bladder cancer were released. Read more here.

See also

• Breast cancer (BC)
• Lung cancer

Notes