Have you seen blood in your pee, even once?
Then it is time to tell your doctor.
As part of the relaunched NHS/PHE Be Clear on Cancer ‘Blood in pee’ campaign this post tells you about bladder cancer and kidney cancer.
If you have seen blood in your pee even once, then you need to tell your doctor.
It might not be anything serious, but there is a chance that it could be a sign of bladder or kidney cancer.
What are bladder cancer and kidney cancer?
Bladder and kidney cancer are serious illnesses.
One of the signs of both types of cancer is blood in your pee.
More men than women get bladder and kidney cancer. You can get these cancers at any age but most people are over 50.
You are more likely to get bladder or kidney cancer if you:
● Smoke
● Are overweight
● Have worked with some chemicals
● Have other illnesses like kidney failure
● Have someone in your family who has had cancer. This could be a brother, sister or parent.
Look before you flush
If you have bladder or kidney cancer, finding out quickly means it is easier to treat and could save your life.
So make sure you look before you flush to see if there is any blood in your pee.
How to spot it
Blood in your pee could be a sign of bladder or kidney cancer.
The blood in your pee might be bright red. It could also be a pink or brown colour.
There could be a lot of blood. Or there could be just a small amount of blood.
You need to see your doctor straight away if you see any unexpected blood in your pee.
You also need to see your doctor if:
● You have had an infection called cystitis that is not clearing up or keeps coming back
● It hurts to pee
● You have a pain in your side below the ribs that does not go away
● You have a pain in your tummy that does not go away
● You are losing weight for no reason.
Why do you need to see your doctor?
If you have blood in your pee or any of these other signs you need to get it checked out. Your doctor is there to help.
It could be that you have an infection, which also means you need to see your doctor.
If you still have any of these signs after seeing your doctor they will want to know. You will need to see them again.
If you know anyone else who has any of these signs, get them to see their doctor.
You can find your doctor’s contact details at:
Seeing your doctor early could save your life
A few years ago Geraldine saw blood in her pee. She knew something was wrong so she saw her doctor straight away.
She had some tests and was told she had bladder cancer.
After treatment, she got better and was soon well enough to go sailing with her husband!
She says she is very glad she saw her doctor quickly and her cancer was caught early.
Keeping well
There are things you can do to give you the best chance of not getting cancer.
Stop smoking
The best thing you can do to keep well is to stop smoking. It could also help stop you getting many different types of cancer.
You can get lots of help to stop smoking. Go to the website:
www.nhs.uk/smokefree
Or call:
0300 123 1044
Keep active
Try to stay a healthy weight and keep active. The more you do, the better.
Try:
● swimming
● cycling
● dancing
● dancing
● walking.
Eat well
It is good to try and have a healthy diet.
Cut down on drinking
Try not to drink too much alcohol.
More information
You can find out more about the best ways to try and not get cancer at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/cancer/prevention/
How to find out more
If you want to find out more you can go to our website:
www.nhs.uk/bloodinpee
You can also download this post in different formats from the website. Or if you want to order copies of this leaflet email:
enquiries@phe.gov.uk
