The NHS Be Clear on Cancer ‘Blood in Pee’ campaign has been launched, encouraging local people to go to their doctor if they notice blood in their pee as it could be a sign of bladder or kidney cancer.
The campaign is running from Tuesday 15th February to Thursday 31st March and encourages people to go to their doctor if they notice blood in their pee.
The chances are it’s nothing serious, but if it is cancer, finding it early makes it more treatable.
Around 17,450 people in England are diagnosed with bladder or kidney cancer each year. These cancers can affect people of all ages but are most common in those over 50.
Blood in your pee is a key symptom for both bladder and kidney cancer. Other bladder cancer symptoms include:
- Cystitis (a urinary tract infection) that is difficult to treat or comes back quickly after treatment.
- Pain when peeing.
Other kidney cancer symptoms include:
- A pain in the side, below the ribs, that doesn’t go away.
- Weight loss.
You’re not wasting anyone’s time by getting your symptoms checked out.
If you’ve been to the doctor but your symptoms haven’t gone away, go back – they’ll want to know.
Dr Ardiana Gjini, NHS England Consultant in Public Health said: “It’s important for people in Bath to talk to their doctor if they notice blood in their pee. Even if it’s just once.
“Seeing blood in your urine may highlight an infection or bladder or kidney stones. Blood in pee may also be a sign of a more serious health issue, such as kidney or bladder cancer.
“No matter what you think the problem might be, talk to your GP. The earlier problems are detected, the easier they usually are to treat.”
If you’d like to find out more, visit: www.nhs.uk/bloodinpee.
