Cancer treatments, including surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, can significantly contribute to bladder dysfunction.
- Surgery: Surgical interventions, especially those involving the pelvic region, can damage nerves and muscles that control bladder function. For instance, radical prostatectomy or hysterectomy can lead to urinary incontinence.
- Radiation therapy: Radiation can cause inflammation and fibrosis of the bladder tissue, leading to symptoms like urgency, frequency, and pain. This condition is known as radiation cystitis.
- Chemotherapy: Some chemotherapeutic agents are toxic to the bladder lining, resulting in a condition called hemorrhagic cystitis, which can cause pain, bleeding, and frequent urination.
