Has anyone been diagnosed with bladder cancer after many years of self catheterisation?
I have been using catheters for over 20 years following complete urinary retention. I have only ever had one cystoscope, probably ten years ago now, where it was noted that my bladder showed many unknown marks on the surface. Doctors said they didn’t know what these were, but were uninterested and didn’t follow up on them. My belief was that they were from the catheters.
For the most part, my catheter usage has been non-problematic and I have had very few urine infections. However, over the last six months I have had repeated urinary symptoms. When dipped, my urine shows the presence of blood and leukocytes. Each time I am just prescribed antibiotics and sent on my way. Once the course is finished my symptoms of urgency, frequency and pain rapidly return. I am concerned that this could be symptoms of bladder cancer. Has anyone here had similar experiences, what was the outcome, and how long should I carry on like this before requesting that I am referred for investigations?
Many thanks for reading, I will be grateful for any help.
