A "silent" cancer, often mistaken for less serious medical conditions, is causing concern. According to Cancer Research, there are approximately 10,300 new cases of bladder cancer in the UK each year.

This equates to more than one diagnosis every hour, making bladder cancer the 11th most common cancer in the UK. The disease is known as "silent" because it often doesn't show symptoms until it has advanced.

It occurs when a tumour, an abnormal growth of tissues, develops in the lining of the bladder. Blood in your urine is the most common symptom of bladder cancer, but this can also be a sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI).

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There are several other signs that overlap with UTI symptoms. Many people have experienced the urgent and persistent need to use the loo and a sharp pain that won't go away.

Over half of women and 10% of men will suffer a UTI at some point, reports Surrey Live. This makes it easy to mistake these silent potential warning signs of bladder cancer for an infection, leaving the more serious issue undetected.

Sadly, bladder cancer claims the lives of around half of those diagnosed, according to charity Action Bladder Cancer UK. However, early detection and diagnosis can significantly increase survival rates, with an 80% survival rate if caught early enough.

Other symptoms include needing to wee more frequently, suddenly needing to go or experiencing a burning sensation when passing urine - all signs that could also indicate a urinary tract infection (UTI).

If bladder cancer reaches an advanced stage and has spread, symptoms may include:

• pelvic pain


• bone pain


• unintentional weight loss


• swelling of the legs

The NHS advises that you should request an urgent GP appointment or seek help from NHS 111 if you find blood in your urine, even if you don't have any other symptoms, it's the first time it's happened, there's only a small amount of blood, or you're unsure if it's blood. The blood may appear bright pink, red, or dark brown.

While it's usually not caused by anything serious, and could be due to - as mentioned above - a UTI, kidney stones or an enlarged prostate, it's crucial to get checked out.