Urination is an important way for the human body to excrete waste and metabolites, and its changes often reflect the health of the body. When abnormalities occur inside the body, especially when major diseases such as cancer occur, they tend to manifest themselves through some subtle urine changes. The doctor said frankly, “there is cancer in the body, which is a prophet of urination”. Therefore, in daily life, we may wish to make a preliminary judgment on health based on the urination situation. If four early warnings of cancer can be found, it may be able to help with early diagnosis and treatment.
1. Blood in the urine
Hematuria is when the urine contains red blood cells, which are visible to the naked eye or found by microscopic examination. Under normal circumstances, urine should appear clear and transparent, and if there is blood in the urine, it may be a warning sign of urinary disorders or even cancer.
For example, bladder cancer is the most common malignancy in the urinary system, and hematuria is one of its typical symptoms. Early symptoms of bladder cancer usually present with painless hematuria, which may occur intermittently, often without significant pain sensation during urination.
If persistent or intermittent bleeding in the urine occurs, accompanied by symptoms such as urgency and painful urination, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible and have an imaging examination of the urinary system.
2. Urinating frequently
The need to urinate more than once during the day, with a small amount of urine each time, may be a signal of an abnormality in the urinary system. Especially at night, frequent urination often breaks sleep, which is known as nocturia and a potential harbinger of bladder or prostate cancer. Cancerous tissue may have no small impact on life by affecting the normal function of the urethra or bladder, resulting in an increased frequency of urination.
Especially in men, patients with prostate cancer may experience symptoms such as frequent urination, urgency, and difficulty urinating due to the tumor compressing the urethra. Frequent waking up at night is most likely an early manifestation of prostatic hyperplasia or prostate cancer.
3. Urinary trait changes
Urine is usually light yellow to clear, indicating kidney and urinary health. If the color suddenly becomes cloudy, dark yellow, red or foamy, this may be an abnormality in the body.
A cloudy urine may be a manifestation of an infection of the urethra, bladder, or kidneys, or it may be caused by a tumor. Late stages of cancers such as bladder and kidney cancer can cause large amounts of white blood cells, blood, or other abnormal components in the urine, which can become cloudy.
Urine, if dark yellow, may suggest problems with the kidneys or bladder. Kidney, bladder, and prostate cancers can all cause changes in urine color. “Excessive foam in urine means that the protein content exceeds the standard, implying that kidney disease has developed to a certain stage and requires early medical treatment”.
4. Difficulty urinating, pain and discomfort
Urinary pain is a typical manifestation of lesions in areas such as the urethra, bladder, or prostate. Urinary pain is often accompanied by a burning or tingling sensation, which can be due to infection, stones, or tumors.
In addition, bladder cancer patients often experience pain or discomfort when urinating, especially when the tumor compresses the bladder wall, which can trigger painful urination. Urinary pain in bladder cancer is usually intermittent and accompanied by hematuria or frequent urination. In the advanced stage of prostate cancer, patients may have difficulty urinating due to enlarged prostate compressing the urethra, resulting in more painful urination “profound”.
In short, although the manifestation of abnormal urination does not necessarily mean cancer, it always means that urinary health is not ideal. If you have a similar situation in your life, you should seek medical examination as soon as possible and do not think you can rely on yourself “hard resistance”.
Disclaimer: All photos used in this blog are generated by artificial intelligence (AI). These images are original creations produced by AI technology and do not depict real people, places, or events. They are provided for illustrative purposes only and cannot be claimed or used as real photographs.
Dr. Ashish Singh is not just a consultant orthopaedic surgeon but a visionary leader in the field. Serving as the Medical Director at Anup Institute of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation in Patna, Bihar, he holds an illustrious academic background with MBBS, MS Ortho, MCh.Orth. (UK), PG Diploma CAOS (UK), and SICOT Diploma Orth. (Sweden).
