Bladder cancer
Bladder cancer is any of several types of cancer arising from the tissues of the urinary bladder. Symptoms include blood in the urine, pain with urination, and low back pain. It is caused when epithelial cells that line the bladder become malignant.
| Bladder cancer | |
|---|---|
| Transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. The white in the bladder is contrast. | |
| Specialty | Oncology, urology |
| Symptoms | Blood in the urine, pain with urination |
| Usual onset | 65 to 84 years old |
| Types | Transitional cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma |
| Risk factors | Smoking, family history, prior radiation therapy, frequent bladder infections, certain chemicals |
| Diagnostic method | Cystoscopy with tissue biopsies |
| Treatment | Surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy |
| Prognosis | Five-year survival rates ~77% (US) |
| Frequency | 549,000 new cases (2018) |
| Deaths | 200,000 (2018) |
Risk factors for bladder cancer include smoking, family history, prior radiation therapy, frequent bladder infections, and exposure to certain chemicals. The most common type is transitional cell carcinoma. Other types include squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Diagnosis is typically by cystoscopy with tissue biopsies. Staging of the cancer is determined by transurethral resection and medical imaging.
Treatment depends on the stage of the cancer. It may include some combination of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy. Surgical options may include transurethral resection, partial or complete removal of the bladder, or urinary diversion. The typical five-year survival rates in the United States is 77%, Canada is 75%, and Europe is 68%.
Bladder cancer, as of 2018, affected about 1.6 million people globally with 549,000 new cases and 200,000 deaths. Age of onset is most often between 65 and 84 years of age. Males are more often affected than females. In 2018, the highest rate of bladder cancer occurred in Southern and Western Europe followed by North America with rates of 15, 13, and 12 cases per 100,000 people. The highest rates of bladder cancer deaths were seen in Northern Africa and Western Asia followed by Southern Europe.