Bladder Cancer: Ways to Detect A Serious Problem

Swollen Feet

An individual who has an advanced stage of bladder cancer may experience swollen feet. Bladder cancer cells typically begin to multiply in the interior bladder wall lining, forming malignant tumors. The malignant cells can then penetrate through the urothelium or interior bladder lining and keep multiplying within the muscular tissues of the bladder wall. The cancerous cells can metastasize to the blood and other organ systems in the body when it is left untreated. A common part of the body bladder cancer spreads to is the lymph nodes. The lymphatic system functions to trap and destroy substances in the body, such as bacteria and waste products that do not belong there.

Protein-rich lymph fluid flows throughout a complex network of capillaries and vessels in the body to accomplish this function. The lymph fluid carries these unwanted substances to nearby lymph nodes, which filter the fluid of the impurities and return it back into circulation. When bladder cancer spreads into nearby lymph nodes, the healthy flow of lymph fluid can become obstructed. When lymph fluid accumulates in the lymph vessels, it diffuses out into the soft tissue that lies below the skin. When the blockage occurs in the lower body, the feet will experience swelling due to this fluid build up in the soft tissues.

Fatigue And Weakness

A characteristic of advanced stage bladder cancer, fatigue and weakness can be a manifestation of the disease in affected individuals. All cells in the body require certain nutrients and oxygen in order to carry out their own processes to perform their function and produce their energy. Nutrients absorbed from the food an individual consumes are packaged in the stomach and small intestine, and then they are transported to other organs such as the liver for further synthesis. The nutrients are eventually secreted into the bloodstream where they are carried to all of the cells around the body. The cells absorb the nutrients and utilize them in metabolic processes to produce a form of cellular energy called ATP. ATP makes it possible for each differentiated cell to carry out their specific role collectively in the main function of tissues and organs.

Cancer is characterized by cells that do not function and multiply rapidly, causing damage to surrounding tissues. While cancer cells serve no useful purpose to an individual's body, they confiscate a significant portion of the nutrients all cells need to produce energy. This malfunction leaves less overall nutrients and oxygen for the healthy cells to utilize in their own processes. This mechanism causes an affected individual to experience feelings of fatigue and weakness as their body attempts to conserve the small amount of energy it has.