Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer develops when the urinary bladder cells begin to proliferate out of control. The terms non-invasive or invasive cancers are used to describe how far bladder cancer has spread into the bladder wall. About half of all bladder cancers are first found in the inner layer of the bladder wall (non-invasive) which is easier to treat than invasive cancer. Urothelial carcinoma is the most common type of bladder cancer. Squamous cell carcinomas, adenocarcinomas, small-cell carcinomas, and sarcomas are less common in the U.S.

• An estimated 83,190 new cases of bladder cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2024, and an estimated 16,840 deaths will occur.
• Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men.
• The lifetime risk of getting bladder cancer in the U.S. is about 1 in 28 for men and 1 in 89 for women.
• Caucasians are about twice as likely to develop bladder cancer than African Americans or Hispanic Americans.
• Bladder cancer occurs mainly in older people with the average age of 73. About 9 out of 10 people with this cancer are over the age of 55.
• The 5-year relative survival rates for all stages of bladder cancer combined is 78%.