The beginning of a bladder cancer is often asymptomatic; the disease invades the bladder cells without showing any noticeable symptoms. Urine discoloration is often the first sign of bladder cancer. Hematuria (presence of blood in the urine) is often painless and can go unnoticed for several weeks or months. As the cancer aggravates, however, you can experience urination problems:
- pain or burning when you urinate
- pain in the region of the bladder (lower back)
- urgent need to urinate
- feeling of not having emptied the bladder completely after urinating
- persistent urinary tract infection