When Should I Start PSA Testing?
There’s been some confusion around screening for prostate cancer through PSA testing, and we want to shed some much-needed light. Here, we look at when (and if) men should start PSA testing.
3 Warning Signs of Bladder Cancer
No matter the type, cancer is a disease that grows and progresses, which means catching it at the earliest possible moment can make a big difference.
Given this reality, and the fact that May is Bladder Cancer Awareness Month, it’s a good time to review warning signs of bladder cancer, which is the 6th most diagnosed cancer in the United States. In 2026, bladder cancer is expected to be diagnosed in nearly 85,000 Americans.
To help you recognize bladder cancer as early as possible, our experienced team at Arizona Urology, which includes oncology specialists, wants to outline three warning flags that are commonly associated with the disease.
1. Blood in your urine
Medically known as hematuria, if you notice blood in your urine, this is a red flag for a number of issues, including bladder cancer.
In many cases, this blood can turn your urine a reddish or orange tint, making it fairly obvious. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case, and sometimes we can only detect the presence of blood under a microscope.
Still, this warning sign of bladder cancer is the most common one, and it’s a development that you should definitely have us check out, especially if the hematuria is ongoing.
To provide you with more motivation, blood in your urine is typically the first symptom of early bladder cancer, and, as we discussed, early detection is always best with cancer.
2. Changes in urination
Another warning sign of bladder cancer is changes in your urination habits and the act of urination itself.
For example, these changes in urination can include:
- Needing to urinate more frequently
- Trouble initiating urination
- Pain or a burning sensation when you urinate
Here again, these symptoms can be caused by other conditions, such as urinary tract infections, which are common.
If, however, we rule out an infection, or you have a urinary tract infection that isn’t going away, it’s time to extend our investigation to other conditions, and bladder cancer is certainly on the list.
3. Pain
You’ll notice that we haven’t mentioned pain yet, and that’s because early bladder cancer rarely leads to pain, except maybe fleeting discomfort when you urinate.
As the cancer advances, however, pain can very much become part of the picture and include:
- Lower back pain, usually on one side
- Pain in your lower abdomen
- Pain in your bones (bladder cancer often spreads to bones)
Beyond this pain, you might also experience fatigue and loss of appetite.
Take action
If you’re at all unsure whether your symptoms fit the descriptions above, we urge you to err on the side of caution and schedule an evaluation with us. At the very least, we can get to the bottom of your symptoms, whether or not they stem from bladder cancer, and remedy the underlying problem. At most, we identify bladder cancer in plenty of time to take action.
For more information about bladder cancer or to have us evaluate your symptoms, please don’t hesitate to contact us at one of our offices in Phoenix, Goodyear, Gilbert, and Glendale, Arizona, today to schedule an appointment.
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