Bladder Cancer Symptoms

Bladder cancer often causes no symptoms until it reaches an advanced state that is difficult to cure.

The most common symptoms of bladder cancer include the following:

• Blood in the urine (haematuria)
• Pain or burning during urination without evidence of urinary tract infection
• Change in bladder habits, such as having to urinate more often or feeling the strong urge to urinate without producing much urine

These symptoms are non-specific. This means that these symptoms are also linked with many other conditions that have nothing to do with cancer.

Having these symptoms does not necessarily mean you have bladder cancer.

People who can see blood in their urine, especially older males who smoke, are considered to have a high likelihood of bladder cancer until proven otherwise. Other high risks are working in environments that contains high levels hydrocarbons gases; e.g. petroleum, paint, cleaning and perfume vapours

• Blood in the urine is usually the first warning sign of bladder cancer.
• Unfortunately, the blood is often invisible to the eye. This is called microscopic haematuria, but is detectable with a simple urine test stick.
• In some cases, enough blood is in the urine to noticeably change the urine colour. The urine may have a slightly pink or orange hue, or it may be bright red with or without clots.

emedicinehealth.com

16th Sept 14:00
Still slightly twingie and more of a marker, with acidic pH and a weird brown ketone marker. Eating not so well and working fairly hard etc. Will try and sort food better for two days and drink cleavers.

16th Sept 14:00
For the rest of September I intend to use the Uritest sticks as the monitoring of nitrites and leukocytes for a sign of infection or ought else has been uneventful.

The problem is that I have been used to very low or zero readings which I think are a product of using the mission sticks. This sense of things being ok and getting better have been a major part of my happiness and thence defence.

Today as anticipated the reading was slightly positive. There were indications of non-haem but very light, same as 6th Sept.

Update on the twinges which have been absent for months. They came back a few times over the last week and I think it may be due to an acidic pee. Whilst using the Mission sticks I had a regular highly alkaline pee except two days ago when I clearly felt something was amiss.

6th Sept 11:19
Using the Uristick again I find a light marker. The overall tone is off and there is almost a non-haem dot or two.

5th Sept 13:26

• pH The very high(alkaline) for a week or two or more. That's with the Mission sticks which I thought had a low reading compared to the Uristicks. The Uristick gives the same reading.(7.5 to 8)
• protein There has been a notable marker albeit at its lowest level of (0 to 15 g/Lt)on Mission, whilst the Uristick gives a negative reading.
• non-haem There is also a small marker on the Uristick whilst there is none on the Mission.
• Leukocytes gives >70 marker after a few more minutes.

1st Sept 09:26
Did a Leukocyte and Nitrite test this morning and they were both negative. I didn't do the blood as early morning is often unrepresentative due to the bladder storing overnight, although that's what I relied upon to show up any infection.
Also the tingling has all but gone, and the urine passed more easily, and in quantity: so maybe there was a blockage?

Having obtained some test sticks with Leukocytes and Nitrite options the next first two weeks shall contain results of those also.

In the few times I have tested there has been some Leukocyte positive markers.

I wondered my urine pH is frequently low at 6.

The following extract states that the common pH level is 6 and that a vegetarian diet is likely to produce a more alkaline urine. Further that early morning urine is relatively acidic due to lack of oxygenation following lower respiration whilst sleeping .

So if I test later in the day, say about noon and its generally above 6 then that may be fine. I am a bit concerned about the 'Mission' sticks giving a lower reading that UriTest and must get in contact with the suppliers and manufacturers. Will also ask Dr McCormick for half a dozen of the ones they use.

My concern was that I read somewhere that cancer cells create an acidic environment.

From: BBC News

Bicarbonate 'could detect cancer'

The naturally-occurring chemical bicarbonate, used to make baking soda, could help detect cancer using sensitive scanning, research suggests.

Bicarbonate is involved in the body's balancing of acid and alkali.

But cancerous tissue is known to turn it into carbon dioxide.

The Cancer Research UK team found MRI scans were able to track changes in the chemical and therefore identify cancers even in the very early stages.
Almost all cancer has a lower pH, meaning it is more acidic than surrounding tissue.

2008/05/28

From: rnceus.com

"The glomerular filtrate of blood is usually acidified by the kidneys from a pH of approximately 7.4 to a pH of about 6 in the urine."

"A diet rich in citrus fruits, legumes, and vegetables raises the pH and produces urine that is more alkaline."

"During sleep, decreased pulmonary ventilation causes respiratory acidosis. As a result, a first waking urine specimen is usually highly acidic."

For more on the diet see:
ACIDIC URINE - A MUST FOR THE UROSTOMATE NOTE:This site seems to have closed (19th July, 2009)
Please try this site: ctds.info/acidic-foods.html

"Very often a person with a urostomy is told not to drink orange juice, but is not given an explanation as to why. The rationale behind the advice actually applies to anyone who ever has had a bladder infection. Acidic urine tends to keep bacteria in check, thereby reducing the incidence of infection, and decrease crystal formation. But oranges and most other citrus fruits are not used by the body as acid but as alkaline."

For a more detailed explanation and list of foods:
Your Body pH Affects Everything:

" WHAT CAUSES ACID IN THE BODY

The primary cause of an acidic condition in your body is from what you put in your mouth. In other words, what you eat and what you drink. And it isn't how "acid" something may seem when you eat or drink it. It has to do with what is left over when you digest it.

Specifically, does eating or drinking something leave behind an acid or alkaline "ash". For example, I don't know about you but I love seafood. Scallops are one of my favorites. However, when your body digests scallops, it leaves an extremely acid ash. In fact, scallops are one of the most acid foods you can eat.

Unfortunately, a lot of the things most people put in their mouths create an acid ash. These include alcohol, coffee and a lot of flesh protein in your diet. Interestingly enough, stress also tends to create an acid condition in the body."

Red Blood Count: red blood cells per microlitre.

The first two graphs show the daily results of the haem tests from April 2008 to January 2009 (inclusive)

The first is a standard linear function.

The second an inverted logarithmic function.

Logarithmic graphs start at one, hence there is no visual value for 'one' and the higher values appear compressed. This has a similar effect of visualising area rather than quantity, better shown in the second of the following two graphs.

The second pair of graphs are based on Half-month Averages.

The first is a simple linear representation of April 2008 to January 2009

The second attempts to show the Relative Area of Source

The square root of the previous figures, the mean haemoglobin count (H), is used as an estimate for the dimensions of the surface area that may be the source of bleeding.
Area = √(H)

Given the source of data and number of significant figures I am using, the first graph cannot show a figure lower that 0.1 other than zero and consequently the square root cannot be lower than 0.3 else zero.

The following is one of the early graphs.

• The red horizontal line indicates the theoretical maximum that the urine testing sticks can define, at approx 200 cells/µlt
• At 300 cells/µlt the blood may be visible??
• The blue mark and blue hatched area is an estimated average for the fortnight before I acquired the testing sticks.

April to June

 

The next page shows graphs of daily averages in monthly periods, although not necessarily per calendar month.

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15th April
'UriTest'sticks arrived at 12:30 and have done my first test about 12:45

Times of testing
I think a good time is early morning, when after a nights sleep no physical activity will have increased a background count. Take specimen from mid-flow.

What to test?
Apart from blood, I've included the pH as it was slightly off neutral on the first test so I am curious. -:- 16thApr - Yeap! This morning the pH is more acidic.

17th April 23:20 Have just ordered another lot of urine testing sticks from <valuemed.co.uk>. See [Related Info] > [Email to Uritest]. Anyway it will be good to compare different makes, unless they are both made in the same factory in China???

19th April 12:30 'Mission' Urinalysis sticks arrived. Screw top lid and sealed inside before use . Have emailed to see where they are made.

20th April 11:01
Noticable is the difference in pH levels. The 'Mission' gives a reading some 0.5 lower than 'Uristick'. I think Mission maybe wrong as plain water gives pH of 6.5

7th June 10:27
I used both sticks today to confirm a marker on 'Uristick' as I had been 'clear' for 7 days. 'Mission' gave no marker. As previously the acid level was lower. The blood reading at this low level was effectively two markers lower.

Neither company answered my email on these issue so will chase them up again, starting with 'Mission'. Its hard to see how a test can be positive except by being over sensitive, which is better than insensitive. -:- 11:35 On checking back it seems the difference is only noticeable at the lower levels. At L++ and above they are parallel, about 50cell/µl (see 27th April and earlier)

UPDATE: 7th October
Currently I am using a new batch of the Uritest Sticks. The pH doesn't seems to be a problem as I thought before. However I think this batch is more sensitive to haem as I get a small reading with these and none with the Mission Sticks. So whereas finding the haem was disappointing after using the Mission sticks exclusively for a month, it is good to know I am monitoring at smaller levels.

ORIGINAL POST
Without to much ado I have found this site:
uritest.co.uk
Whick sells 'sticks' that estimate up to 13 different parameters.

The 10V one is a little over the top just for checking blood content and the 5V is the smallest option that includes blood.

I intend to get one of the 10V for occasional detailed investigation and 4 of the 5V for regularly checks. Each has 100 sticks.

They have a lifespan of two years.

Email to Uritest and Mission Analysis after delivery:

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