Blood in urine or menstrual problem?

Hello

Thanks for getting in touch. My name is Adele, I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurses on the Macmillan Support Line.

Blood in the urine (haematuria) is the most common symptom of cancers of the bladder and urinary tract.  Around 80 out of 100 people, with bladder cancer (around 80%), have some haematuria.

Sometimes the blood is visible and if so, it is usually bright red, although sometimes it can look dark brown.  The bleeding often comes and goes.

Other signs of bladder cancer can be needing to pass urine more frequently or needing to rush to the toilet.  Some people also have pain or a burning sensation when they pass urine and some people feel they are not able to empty their bladder completely.

Any blood in the urine, or changes to your normal urinary pattern, should be discussed with your GP and investigated.  These symptoms can also be caused by other things, for example infection and kidney stones.  One in five people with visible blood in their urine are found to have cancer.  This means that four in five people will be found not to have cancer.

It is good that you have seen a urologist and a gynaecologist and that they have completed different tests and investigations to rule out the presence of a cancer.

The test they routinely use for detecting cancer of the bladder is a cystoscopy, where a camera is used to look inside your bladder.  There are different types of light used with the cystoscopy, including white, blue and green.  Not every hospital can offer the different procedures.

Different scans are also used to look at your kidneys, and other areas of the urinary tract, including ultrasound and CT urograms.  Using a combination of techniques and procedures increases the detection rate of cancers, however no test is 100% accurate.

From what you have said you have had normal ultrasounds, CT scans and cystoscopies, which is reassuring.

However, as you have a lot of concerns about what could have caused the bleeding, I would suggest that you have a further conversation with your GP.  They will have the result of all of your recent tests and be able to go through everything with you.  They will also be able to advise if they think any further tests are necessary to get to the bottom of what caused the symptoms you experienced.

I hope this information is useful. Please don’t hesitate to get back in contact by email, webchat or phone, if you need further information or support.

The Macmillan Support Line offers practical, clinical, financial and emotional support. You can call us free from landlines and from most mobile phone networks on 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week, 8am – 8pm.

Best wishes, Adele

Cancer Information Nurse Specialist 

Ref AON/JH

Thank you for your response I wonder would bladder cancer present like a menstrual cycle showing blood for a couple days within each month and having blood on toilet paper when wiping and if a urinary tract cancer or bladder cancer was the cause of visible blood a pinkish color after all the combined testing and imaging wouldn't something be found.......

Dear Uncertain and Scared

Thank you for your reply. My name is Gemma, I am another of the cancer information nurse specialists here at the Macmillan cancer support line service.

Being investigated for signs and symptoms that might point to cancer can be a very worrying time.  Often the investigations will rule out cancer rather than find it: For example, with bladder cancers, 80% of people investigated for visible blood in the urine will not have cancer (the British Association of Urological Surgeons). Haematuria, or blood in the urine, is a very common symptom, which can have multiple causes. It is right to act quickly and rule out the most concerning causes first, with an urgent NHS referral, it can sometimes then become a process of elimination. Figures provided by The British Association of Urological Surgeons also state that 50% of people investigated for visible blood in the urine will not have a cause identified. I don’t underestimate how much discomfort can be caused when there is nothing found to explain the symptoms in the first place, especially after such thorough testing.

You asked about blood appearing like a menstrual cycle. Unfortunately, we are not directly part of NHS, or its services so have no access to any database holding your medical history within the NHS to be able to offer a comment on your personal situation. In general terms though unusual bleeding around the time of your menstrual cycle can sometimes be explained by non-cancerous causes; one example of this is fibroids.

It certainly does sound as though you underwent a large variety of different tests and investigations, including a second opinion.  You did absolutely the right thing in reporting the change that you noticed, we always recommend letting your GP know about new or changing symptoms and should you notice any further changes in your body please continue to stay in touch with your GP.

We hope this information is helpful for you.

Take care, with kind regards,

Gemma J, Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.

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