What is Bladder Cancer?

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What is Bladder Cancer?

Types of Cancer

Bladder Cancer

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Bladder cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. Each year, more than 54,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with bladder cancer. For unknown reasons, the incidence of the disease has been steadily increasing over recent years. However, thanks to the availability of precise diagnostic technology and effective treatments, there has also been a steady increase in survival rates since the 1970s.

The bladder is a hollow, balloon-shaped organ that stores urine until it can exit the body. Situated in the lower abdomen, the bladder has a muscular wall that enables it to shrink or expand as needed. Urine - which is produced by the kidneys - is transported to the bladder via a pair of slender tubes called the ureters. After temporary storage, urine leaves the bladder through a structure known as the urethra.

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Bladder cancer originates in the cells that line the interior of the bladder. There are several different types of bladder cancer, and treatments vary according to the particular type, as well as the extent or stage of the cancer. The vast majority of bladder cancers - approximately 90 percent - are known as transitional cell cancers (TCC). Transitional cells are found in the interior of the bladder, and possess the ability to stretch and change shape from flat to cubical, depending on whether the bladder is full or empty. Approximately 70 percent of transitional cell cancers are superficial, or confined to the lining of the bladder, while 30 percent are muscle-invasive. In addition to the transitional cell cancers, there are several rare forms, including squamous cell and adenocarcinoma, among others.

Depending on the type of bladder cancer, it can appear as one or more flat patches on the surface of the lining, or take the form of a warty growth that projects from the surface. As cancer progresses, it spreads from the inner lining of the bladder to the muscle wall, and then to the fatty tissues surrounding the organ. If left untreated, bladder cancer can metastasize - or spread - to adjacent lymph nodes and reproductive organs, and then to distant organs.

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