Prostate, colorectal, breast, and lung all can produce metastatic adenocarcinomas to the bladder.
Urothelial carcinoma (also called transitional cell carcinoma) is cancer that begins in the urothelial cells, which line the urethra, bladder, ureters, renal pelvis, and some other organs. Almost all bladder cancers are urothelial carcinomas.
When the cancerous cells spread beyond the lining, into the surrounding bladder muscle, it's referred to as muscle-invasive bladder cancer (or invasive bladder cancer). This is less common, but has a higher chance of spreading to other parts of the body.
This is always a high-grade cancer (see “Grades,” below) and is considered an aggressive disease because it can lead to muscle-invasive disease.
The 5-year relative survival rate of people with bladder cancer that has not spread beyond the inner layer of the bladder wall is 96%. Almost half of people are diagnosed with this stage. If the tumor is invasive but has not yet spread outside the bladder, the 5-year relative survival rate is 70%.
Where can bladder cancer spread to? Not all bladder cancers will spread. But If it does it's most likely to spread to the structures close to the bladder, such as the ureters, urethra, prostate, vagina, or into the pelvis.
You should have an urgent referral if you are: 45 or over and you can see blood in your urine and you don't have a urine infection. 45 or over and you can see blood in your urine, and you have a urine infection which keeps coming back after treatment.
Can bladder cancer go undetected for years? If symptoms such as blood in the urine and changes in urinary habits are ignored by an individual and/or repeatedly misdiagnosed, it's possible that bladder cancer may not be detected for months or, in some cases, even years.
These include: weight loss for no reason. pain in your back, lower tummy or bones. feeling tired and unwell.
For most people, the first symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine, also called hematuria. Sometimes the blood is visible, prompting the patient to visit a doctor.
Survival rates for bladder cancer
For example, the 5-year relative survival rate for localized bladder cancer is 71%. This means that people diagnosed with localized bladder cancer are 71% as likely as someone who does not have bladder cancer to be alive 5 years after diagnosis.
Bladder cancer is highly treatable when it is diagnosed in the early stages. The main types of treatments for bladder cancer include: Surgery: Bladder cancer treatment almost always has a surgical component that may be combined with other non-invasive approaches, including those listed below.
Hematuria and irritative symptoms are the most frequent presenting manifestations of bladder cancer.
Bladder cancer most often begins in the cells (urothelial cells) that line the inside of your bladder. Urothelial cells are also found in your kidneys and the tubes (ureters) that connect the kidneys to the bladder. Urothelial cancer can happen in the kidneys and ureters, too, but it's much more common in the bladder.
The symptoms of bladder cancer can come on suddenly or develop over time. The most common presentation is the onset of painless blood in the urine.
Older adults are particularly affected as the risk for bladder cancer increases with age. Nine out of ten people diagnosed are over the age of 55. The average age is 73. Bladder cancer has the highest recurrence rate of any form of cancer.
What is the most aggressive form of bladder cancer? In general, bladder cancers that are muscle invasive and/or have high-grade cells are the most serious and aggressive.
Tests to diagnose bladder cancer
If bladder cancer is suspected, these tests may be performed to diagnose the disease: Physical exam. Blood test: Blood samples are used to measure certain substances released into the blood by organs and tissues in the body.
CT Scans. A CT scan uses X-rays and a computer to create three-dimensional, cross-sectional pictures of the bladder, as well as the ureters and kidneys. A CT scan may be used to see whether bladder cancer has invaded the bladder wall or has spread to other organs or nearby lymph nodes.
Smoking is the single biggest risk factor for bladder cancer. This is because tobacco contains cancer-causing (carcinogenic) chemicals. If you smoke for many years, these chemicals pass into your bloodstream and are filtered by the kidneys into your urine.
The most common way is to look at the cells under a microscope, called urinary cytology. There are other urine tests using molecular analysis that can be done to help find cancer, usually at the same time as urinary cytology. Cystoscopy. Cystoscopy is the key diagnostic procedure for bladder cancer.