Cancer of the Urinary System

A variety of urinary system cancers can be treated with surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and biological therapy.

Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer occurs when cancer cells form in the tissues of the bladder. It is the fourth most common type of cancer in men and the eighth most common type of cancer in women. Most bladder cancers are classified as transitional cell carcinoma, which originates in cells located in the innermost tissue layer. Other types of bladder cancer are squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma.

Risk factors include smoking; a high-fat diet; exposure to carcinogens such as rubber, paint and certain dyes or textiles; or infections. Older, white males are also at risk for bladder cancer.

Symptoms are similar to those of other urinary tract problems and include blood in the urine, frequent urination, painful urination and pain in the lower back.

Cancer of the Urethra

Cancer of the urethra -- in which cancer cells form in the tube that empties urine from the bladder -- is rare. This type of cancer affects women more often than men. Types of urethral cancer are anterior, posterior, urethral cancer associated with invasive bladder cancer and recurrent urethral cancer.

In the early stages, there may be no symptoms of urethral cancer. Some symptoms may be a lump or growth on the urethra, blood in the urine or pain during urination.

Kidney Cancer

The most common type of kidney cancer in adults is renal cell cancer, which occurs most often in people over the age of 40.

Risk factors for kidney cancer include smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, long-term dialysis and Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, a multi-system disorder characterized by abnormal blood vessels. You may also be at risk if you come in contact with certain kinds of chemicals.

Symptoms of kidney cancer are blood in the urine, constant pain in the side, a lump in the side, weight loss and fever.