Can urine odor be a sign of bladder cancer?

Written by Chen Feng
Urology
Updated on January 02, 2025
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Urine with an unusual odor may be caused by bladder cancer, but the presence of an odor alone cannot be used to diagnose bladder cancer. Clinically, urine with an odor is commonly associated with urinary tract infections, as patients with such infections tend to have a higher amount of inflammatory secretions in their urine. Additionally, patients with urinary tract infections may lose some body water through sweating, leading to more concentrated urine, which can increase the odor. Bladder cancer patients are more susceptible to urinary tract infections, so they may also experience odorous urine. Clinically, bladder cancer is diagnosed through a combination of the patient's symptoms and supportive diagnostic tests. In the early stages of the disease, bladder cancer typically presents as painless hematuria (blood in the urine) that persists for an extended period. A routine urinalysis can be performed to check for elevated red blood cells in the urine. If bladder cancer is suspected, a cystoscopy can be conducted to identify any masses in the bladder and take biopsy samples for pathological examination. The presence of tumor cells in these samples generally confirms a diagnosis of bladder cancer.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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What are the symptoms of bladder cancer?

Bladder cancer's most common symptom is a consistent presence of painless gross hematuria. Some patients also exhibit frequent urination, urgency, and pain during urination as initial signs of bladder irritation. In advanced local stages, palpable pelvic tumors can be detected in patients, with symptoms such as urinary retention, lower abdominal pain, and inability to urinate. In the late stages of bladder cancer, patients may experience weight loss, back and flank pain, and signs of renal failure among other clinical manifestations.

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Written by Guan Hai Fang
Urology
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Is bladder cancer contagious?

Bladder cancer is not contagious, so there is no need to worry about that. Bladder cancer occurs when there is a cancerous transformation of bladder tissue, leading to the formation of bladder tumors. If the tumors are malignant, they are generally termed bladder cancer. Causes of bladder cancer can include long-term exposure to certain carcinogens, such as occupations involving dyes, leather, or paintwork. Another carcinogenic factor is smoking, which is related to about one-third of bladder cancer cases. Chronic infection or prolonged irritation by foreign bodies can also increase the risk of bladder cancer, as seen in cases with bladder stones, bladder diverticula, or chronic cystitis.

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Written by Xu Chun Hua
Urology
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Early symptoms of bladder cancer

Hematuria is the most common and earliest symptom of bladder cancer, with 85% of patients experiencing intermittent gross hematuria which can decrease or stop on its own, often giving patients a false impression of improvement or cure, thus delaying treatment. Sometimes, hematuria is also found under a microscope, and the amount of bleeding is not necessarily consistent with the size, number, or malignancy of the tumor. The hematuria from bladder tumors can initially be mild, and other symptoms such as frequent urination, urgency, and painful urination may also occur; these are all manifestations of bladder tumors.

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Written by Chen Feng
Urology
1min 13sec home-news-image

Can urine odor be a sign of bladder cancer?

Urine with an unusual odor may be caused by bladder cancer, but the presence of an odor alone cannot be used to diagnose bladder cancer. Clinically, urine with an odor is commonly associated with urinary tract infections, as patients with such infections tend to have a higher amount of inflammatory secretions in their urine. Additionally, patients with urinary tract infections may lose some body water through sweating, leading to more concentrated urine, which can increase the odor. Bladder cancer patients are more susceptible to urinary tract infections, so they may also experience odorous urine. Clinically, bladder cancer is diagnosed through a combination of the patient's symptoms and supportive diagnostic tests. In the early stages of the disease, bladder cancer typically presents as painless hematuria (blood in the urine) that persists for an extended period. A routine urinalysis can be performed to check for elevated red blood cells in the urine. If bladder cancer is suspected, a cystoscopy can be conducted to identify any masses in the bladder and take biopsy samples for pathological examination. The presence of tumor cells in these samples generally confirms a diagnosis of bladder cancer.

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Written by Zhou Zi Hua
Oncology
59sec home-news-image

The most common clinical manifestations of bladder cancer

The most common clinical manifestations of bladder cancer include: one initial clinical presentation is hematuria, which typically appears as painless, intermittent gross hematuria, sometimes it can also manifest as microscopic hematuria. The hematuria may occur only once or last from one day to several days, and it can subside or stop on its own. The color of the hematuria can be light red, possibly dark brown, generally dark red. The amount of bleeding and the duration of the hematuria are not necessarily proportional to the malignancy degree, size, scope, and number of the tumor. Additionally, bladder cancer patients can experience symptoms of bladder irritation, such as frequent urination, urgent urination, painful urination, and difficulties in urination, etc.