Some interesting info to fuel the anxiety fire - but good stuff;
Diagnosis
The most common sign of bladder cancer is hematuria [20]. This may be either grossly visible or only
detectable microscopically. There is no correlation between the amount of hematuria and the extent of cancer. Most cases of hematuria are asymptomatic or `painless'. Microhematuria is present in 9-18% of normal patients. The 95% confidence interval for microhematuria in the normal population is three red blood cells/ high-power field. Therefore, patients with more than three red blood cells/high-power field on two or more properly collected urine specimens should be evaluated.
The chance of finding a urothelial malignancy does vary with patient age and the presence of gross versus microscopic hematuria. Evaluation of a patient who is younger than 40 years old and has microhematuria has a yield of 1.5-6% of diagnosing a urothelial malignancy,
compared with 20-25% in a patient who is older than 50 years with gross hematuria [21], particularly if symptoms of irritability are present and infection has been excluded.
Up to one-third of patients with bladder cancer may present with irritative voiding symptoms such as
urgency, frequency, or dysuria [22]. These symptoms, although often misinterpreted as representing bacterial cystitis, may commonly occur in patients with CIS or with tumors at the trigone. Gross hematuria should prompt a complete evaluation of the urinary tract. This should include upper tract imaging studies, cystoscopy, and examination of urinary cytology.
Current Opinion in Urology. 10(4):291-299, July 2000.
Hassen, Waleed; Droller, Michael J.