Tell tale signs of bladder and kidney cancer

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is backing an NHS campaign to raise awareness of bladder and kidney cancer symptoms.

The Blood in Pee campaign encourages those with this symptom to see their doctor straight away - even if it has only happened once.

Mansfield Woodhouse man Dennis Cox (94) is currently undergoing treatment at King’s Mill Hospital for bladder cancer and has become the face of the campaign.

Dennis, of Worcester Avenue, decided to see a doctor when blood appeared in his urine more than once and he began to get worried.

“I ought to have gone first off,” said Dennis. “But I have had a hell of a lot of hospital treatment for conditions and did not want more,

People should go immediately if they see or feel anything funny. If you have cancer it is not your fault - it is just one of those things.”

Blood in Pee runs from 15th October - 20th November as latest figures show more than 130 people in Nottinghamshire died of bladder and lung cancer in a year.

The ex-Blidworth Colliery miner is nearing the end of a course of injections into his bladder to fight the disease but hopes to reach his 100th birthday.

“The consultant said I need to hang on for my letter from the Queen but she has not written to me yet,” he added.

Around 16,600 people in England are diagnosed with bladder or kidney cancer each year and they account for around 7,500 deaths.

Bladder and kidney cancers affect men and women, although they are more common in men.

Most people diagnosed with these cancers are over 50 with those who have worked in manufacturing jobs that involved the use of rubber, dyes, textiles, plastics or certain other chemicals more prone to developing bladder cancer.

Sadmeet Singh, Consultant Surgeon Urologist at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, said: “If you notice any blood in your pee, even if it is just once, tell your doctor straight away.

“The chances are it is nothing serious, but these cancers are more treatable if they are found early.

“It is very straightforward for your doctor to examine you and decide whether to arrange further tests.

“If your doctor suspects it might be bladder or kidney cancer you will be urgently referred to a hospital and they will then organise tests and if necessary, treatment.”

For further information about the signs and symptoms of bladder and kidney cancer please visit www.nhs.uk/bloodinpee.