Symptoms of bladder cancer

Blood in your pee (urine)

Blood in the urine is the most common symptom of bladder cancer. 80 out of 100 people with bladder cancer (80%) have some blood in their urine. Doctors call blood in the urine haematuria (pronounced heem-at-you-ree-ah).

You may see the blood in your urine. It might look pink or red. Rarely, it may look dark brown. Sometimes the blood is there in such small amounts that you can't see it. But a urine test will pick it up.

The blood may not be there all the time. It can come and go. The bleeding is not usually painful. But if you ever see blood in your urine, you should go to your GP.  

It can help if you tell your GP whether: 

• there is blood only when you start to pee

• the blood is mixed with all the urine you pass

• you had any pain when you passed the urine with blood in it

Problems passing urine

You may have problems passing urine. This includes:

• passing urine very often (frequency)

• having a sudden need to pass urine (urgency)

• pain or a burning sensation when passing urine

These symptoms are much more likely to be caused by conditions other than cancer. For example a urine infection, particularly if you do not have blood in your urine. For men, the symptoms could be caused by an enlarged ​prostate gland. 

Tell your doctor straight away if you have these symptoms. If you have an infection, it can usually be treated quickly with ​antibiotics. And it is always best to check for cancer as early as possible so that it can be diagnosed while it is easier to treat.

Other symptoms

You might have other symptoms if your bladder cancer has spread to other parts of the body (advanced bladder cancer). These include:

• weight loss for no reason

• pain in your back, lower tummy (abdomen) or bones

• feeling tired and unwell

Get tips on seeing your GP about your symptoms