Cancer of the bladder is a fairly common type of cancer. The most common symptom of bladder cancer is passing blood in your urine.
The bladder
The bladder is a hollow, balloon-like organ that is located in the pelvis and is designed to store urine.
The kidneys filter waste products out of your blood. The waste products are mixed with water to create urine. The urine is passed out of your kidneys and into your bladder through two tubes that are known as the ureters.
When your bladder is full, the urine passes out of the bladder through another tube called the urethra, before then being passed out of the vagina (women) or penis (men) upon urination.
Types of bladder cancer
Bladder cancer can be classified in two different ways:
- according to the type of bladder cells the cancer begins in, and
- according to how far the cancer has spread when it is first diagnosed.
Bladder cancer by cell type
The most common type of bladder cancer is known as transitional cell carcinoma (TCC), which is responsible for 90% of all cases of bladder cancer. TCC is cancer that starts in the inner lining of the bladder.
The lining of the bladder is known as the transitional epithelium.
Less common types of bladder cancer include:
- squamous cell bladder cancer - which is cancer that starts in the upper lining of the bladder, and accounts for 2% of all cases, and
- adenocarcinoma of the bladder - which is cancer that starts in specialised cells in the lining of the bladder that are responsible for producing mucus. This type of bladder cancer is responsible for between 1-2% of all cases.
Bladder cancer by spread
There are two main ways that bladder cancer can be classified according to how far it has spread:
- non-invasive bladder cancer (also known as superficial bladder cancer) - is a term that is used to describe cases of bladder cancer that have not spread beyond the lining of the bladder, and
- muscle invasive bladder cancer (sometimes simply known as invasive bladder cancer) - is a term that is used to describe cases of bladder cancer that have spread beyond the lining of the bladder and into the surrounding muscles.
An estimated 70% of cases are diagnosed as non-invasive bladder cancer, and the remaining 30% are diagnosed as muscle invasive bladder cancer.
How common is bladder cancer?
Bladder cancer is the seventh most common cancer in the UK, with an estimated 10,000 new cases diagnosed every year.
Men are twice as likely to develop bladder cancer than women.
The risk of developing bladder cancer increases the older a person becomes, with 80% of cases occurring in people who are over 65 years of age.
In the UK, an estimated 3,300 men and 1,600 women die each year as a result of bladder cancer.
Smoking is the leading risk factor for bladder cancer which is thought to be responsible for 50% of all cases of bladder cancer.
Outlook
The outlook for non-invasive bladder cancer is very good. A cure is usually achievable and 90% of people will live for at least five years after receiving a diagnosis, with many living much longer.
The outlook for muscle-invasive bladder cancer is less favourable because achieving a complete cure is often not possible. An estimated 50% of people with muscle-invasive bladder cancer will die within five years of receiving a diagnosis.
Treatment for bladder cancer includes radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery.
