Living with bladder cancer
You might have lots of emotions to cope with after a bladder cancer diagnosis. And treatment for bladder cancer can cause changes in your body which can affect how you feel in yourself.
There is support available to help you cope during and after treatment.
You may have several different feelings when you are told you have cancer. You may feel shocked and upset. You might also feel:
numb
frightened and uncertain
confused
angry and resentful
guilty
You may feel some or all of these feelings. Or you may feel totally different. Everyone reacts in their own way. Sometimes it's hard to take in the fact that you have cancer at all.
Feelings are a natural part of coming to terms with cancer. All sorts of feelings are likely to come and go.
You may be more able to cope and make decisions if you have information about your type of cancer and its treatment. Information helps you to know what to expect.
Taking in information can be difficult, especially when you have just been diagnosed or given news about your outlook. Make a list of questions before you see your doctor. Take someone with you to remind you what you want to ask. They can also help you to remember the information that was given. Getting a lot of new information can feel overwhelming.
Ask your doctors and specialist nurses to explain things again if you need them to.
You might feel that you don’t want to know much information straight away. Tell your doctor or nurse. You will always be able to ask for more information when you feel ready.
Remember that you don’t have to sort everything out at once. It might take some time to deal with each issue. Ask for help if you need it.
You can also do practical things such as:
making lists to help you
having a calendar with all appointments
having goals
planning enjoyable things around weeks that might be emotionally difficult for you
Talking to your friends and relatives about your cancer can help and support you. But some people are scared of the emotions this could bring up and won’t want to talk. They might worry that you won't be able to cope with your situation or be afraid they will say the wrong thing.
It can strain relationships if your family or friends don't want to talk. But talking can help increase trust and support between you and them.
Help your family and friends by letting them know if you would like to talk about what’s happening and how you feel.
Find out ways to help manage your emotions
You might find it easier to talk to someone other than your own friends and family.
Or you may want to see a counsellor.
Read more about talking to a counsellor
Talking to people who have had similar experiences can help. Cancer Chat is our fully moderated forum where you can talk to others affected by cancer, share experiences, and get support. Cancer Chat is free to join and available 24 hours a day.
Specialist nurses can help if you’re finding it difficult to cope or if you have any problems. They can get you the help you need. They can also give you information and signpost you to support in your local area.
Specialist nurses are usually your first point of call if you have any questions or concerns. Make sure you know who your specialist nurse is and have their telephone number.
Bladder cancer and its treatment might cause physical changes to your body. Some changes may result from treatment such as , or into your bladder. The physical changes you have depend on how far your bladder cancer has grown (the stage). And what treatment you have.
It may be difficult to cope with these changes and they can affect the way you feel about yourself. Your doctor or specialist nurse will help you manage any changes.
You are likely to experience problems passing urine. This can be a symptom of the cancer itself, or a side effect from treatment.
Problems might include leaking urine, difficulty passing urine or passing urine very often. The way you cope with this will depend on the cause, and what treatment you had. But there are often things you can do to help you cope.
Your doctor or specialist nurse will also talk to you about any problems you are having. And they will advise you about what might help. We have some information about life after the different types of surgery.
Read about life after different types of surgery
Surgery for bladder cancer might cause scarring. It can be difficult if you have surgery to remove your whole bladder (radical cystectomy). You might also need to have a .
You can get support to help you deal with the changes after surgery, particularly if you have a stoma. These body changes can affect your self esteem and the way you relate to close family and friends.
Get information about living with a stoma
You might also feel very tired and lethargic a lot of the time. This can happen for a while after treatment, or if your bladder cancer is advanced.
The physical changes you have can affect your relationships and sex life. There are things that you can do to help.
Find out how bladder cancer can affect your sex life and how you can cope
As well as coping with the fear and anxiety that a diagnosis of bladder cancer brings, you might also have to work out how to manage practically.
Practical things you and your family might need to cope with include:
money matters
financial support, such as benefits, sick pay and grants
work issues
childcare
Try to remember that you don't have to sort everything out at once. It might take some time to deal with each issue.
Ask for help if you need it. Your doctor or specialist nurse should know who you can contact to get help. They can put you in touch with professionals who are specially trained in supporting people with cancer. These people are there to help you so use them if you feel you need to.
You can get support from a stoma nurse or dietician. Social workers can help you with information about your entitlement to sick pay and benefits. They can also help you to organise your recovery if you need help when you first come out of hospital.
Last reviewed: 09 Sept 2025
Next review due: 09 Sept 2028
Coping with cancer can be difficult. There is help and support available. Find out about the emotional, physical and practical effects of cancer and how to manage them.
Get practical and emotional support to help you cope with a diagnosis of bladder cancer, and life during and after treatment.
There are organisations, support groups, videos and books to help you cope with bladder cancer and treatment.
You might need some care and support at home due to bladder cancer or its treatment.
Bladder cancer is cancer that starts in the lining of the bladder.
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