Hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) is related and is often used synonymously with radiation cystitis (RC) - it can be confusing. HC refers to the same urinary symptoms as RC which may result as a rare side effect from either anticancer radiation therapy or certain types of anticancer chemotherapy - so all radiation cystitis cases are HC, but not all HC cases are RC.
All HC is characterized by gross hematuria after receiving radiation, chemotherapy, or via a few other methods that are less common (such as stem cell therapy). For chemotherapy-induced HC, various chemotherapeutic agents can lead to it including the drugs ifosfamide and cyclophosphamide. Chemotherapy-induced HC patients have similar outcomes as RC patients, they just differ in how the condition comes about.
While our organization is focused on radiation-induced HC, all patients with HC share a common struggle. If you are a researcher in chemotherapy-induced HC and think we can assist you, please don't hesitate to reach out. If you are a patient with chemotherapy-induced HC please feel welcome to share your story or thoughts in the comments or by emailing us.
Finally, sharing a free article that provides an overview of HC, link here.
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