Following a healthy lifestyle is essential as it can help you to improve your longevity and reduce the risk some fatal diseases like cancer. One should always go for the nutritious plant food to prevent the risk of cancer as healthy plant-based diet can help to prevent cancer risk. There can be specific lifestyle modifications for specific type of cancer, so are for the most common malignancy of the urinary system, the bladder cancer. Among all deaths from cancer, bladder tumor accounts for approximately 3%. Worldwide, bladder tumor is diagnosed in about 2,75,000 people each year, and approximately 1,08,000 die of this fatal disease.
Scroll below to know more about this debilitating cancer threatening the life.
- What is bladder cancer and its symptoms?
- Types of bladder cancer
- Risk of bladder tumor
- How to reduce your risk of bladder tumor?
What is bladder cancer and its symptoms?
Bladder cancer is an abnormal growth of tissue in the bladder. Blood in the urine is the most commonly noted symptom of this cancer.
Other symptoms include pain or burning sensation during urination, lower back pain on one side of the body, feeling the need to urinate many times throughout the night, frequent urination, and urge to urinate, but not being able to pass urine.
Types of bladder cancer
Bladder cancer includes:
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Urothelial carcinoma/ transitional cell carcinoma
- Adenocarcinoma
- Sarcoma
Risk of bladder tumor
Cancer of the bladder is more commonly witnessed in older men and is less frequently an issue in females. Men are four times more likely to get bladder tumors when compared to women.
About 9 out of 10 people with this tumor are over the age of 55. The average age of people when they are diagnosed with cancer of the bladder is 73.
How to reduce your risk of bladder tumor?
Some risk factors like gender, family history, ethnicity, age, race, bladder birth defects can’t be controlled. But, there are few things that you can do to minimize your risk of suffering from bladder tumor. To know more, read below!
(a) Say no to smoking!
We all know that smoking is injurious to health. Not only bladder cancer but smoking also increase the risk of lung cancer. It is a well-established risk factor for urinary tract cancer. If a person smokes, you are 4 to 7 times more likely to get a tumor in your bladder compared to nonsmokers. Also, smokers are more likely to have their cancer return and even die from it.
When you stop smoking (or get loved ones to stop if you are being exposed to secondhand smoke), your body starts to heal. Quitting smoking will aid to boost your immune system to aid fight tumors.
A study by Yueyao Li et al. indicated that in postmenopausal females, a considerable decline in bladder cancer risk was noted after quitting smoking. Thus, smoking cessation is a promising target for enhancing outcomes in individuals suffering from bladder tumors.
(b) Exercise regularly
Chronic lack of physical activity can drastically raise the chance of developing cancer in the bladder. Limit your sedentary behaviour. Exercise is an important cancer-preventive strategy that also maintains your overall fitness, boosts your energy level, and makes your immune system stronger and work better.
A pooled assessment of over one million individuals indicated that leisure-time physical activity was associated with a 13% lowered risk of bladder tumor. In a meta-analysis by Moore SC et al., the bladder tumor risk was 15% reduced for participants with the highest level of recreational or occupational physical activity compared to those with the lowest level.
Exercise is also associated with improvement in bladder cancer survival. According to the study by Michael A. Liss, exercise was found to decrease the risk of bladder cancer-specific mortality. Exercise was also found to be positively linked with improved quality of life in bladder cancer survivors.
(c) Hydrate more!
Water is crucial for bladder health as bladder tumor can sometimes be the result of chemicals staying in your bladder for an extended time period. Increasing your intake of fluids (mostly water) may diminish the risk. This might be because people who drink plenty of fluids empty their bladders more often, giving potentially harmful cells less time in the body.
When you drink a lot of water, it permits your body to better break down deleterious toxins and carcinogens and effectively flush them out. In a study, investigators found that a high total fluid intake (more than 2,531 milliliters/day) was linked with a 24% reduced risk for bladder cancer among men.
Make it your goal to drink enough fluids to stay well-hydrated. However, long-term consumption of drinking water high in arsenic content can lead to a greater incidence of bladder cancer.
(d) Eat a healthy, nutritious, and well-balanced diet
When it comes to the prevention of bladder tumors, food plays a pivotal role. A diet loaded with various healthy fruits and vegetables could safeguard you against bladder cancer. Read below to know the best foods to aid in the prevention of bladder tumors.
Vegetables
According to the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN), vegetables are associated with a 10% decline in the risk for bladder tumors per serving. Cruciferous vegetables, including cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, and asparagus contain the sulforaphane compound that has been shown to slow down the growth of bladder tumor.
Consume antioxidants-enriched leafy vegetables. These antioxidants repair cell damage and have anti-inflammatory properties that may aid to combat cancer.
Fruits
Consuming fruits have been linked with a 10% decline in the risk for bladder tumor per serving. Citrus fruits such as oranges, limes, grapefruit, and lemons have antioxidant properties. They aid to keep your bladder clean and function properly.
The American Institute of Cancer Research suggests five servings of non-starchy fruits and veggies every day to minimize bladder tumor risk.
Tea
According to BCAN, you may witness a 6% decline in the risk for bladder tumor with each cup of tea you take a day. Black, green, and oolong tea without caffeine can eliminate toxins from the body and minimize your tumor risk in the urinary tract.
Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that green tea and its polyphenols may inhibit the incidence and development of bladder tumors. Regular black tea intake was found to be linked with minimized risk of bladder cancer in female subjects.
(e) Limit your exposure to deleterious workplace chemicals
If you work in an environment exposed to chemicals like hair dyes, rubber, leather, textiles, paint, printing materials, diesel fumes, then you are more likely to be at higher risk of bladder cancer. Limit your exposure as much as possible.
(f) Avoid processed and red meat
A positive correlation has been witnessed between processed meat intake and the risk of bladder tumors. Nitrate and nitrite that are added to processed meat for preservation and improving the flavor and color may raise bladder tumor risk. So, avoid eating processed and red meat.
Encourage an active lifestyle. Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Staying active will positively impact your health and well-being. Early detection of bladder tumors can save your life.
If a tumor present in your urinary tract is small, has been spotted at an early stage, and has not spread past your bladder, it considerably raises your chances of successful therapy.
Talk to a healthcare professional if you feel that you are at risk for getting bladder tumor or if you have a family history of this fatal disease.
Also read, Erdafitinib and avelumab as promising therapies to treat bladder cancer.
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