Bladder Cancer

• Stop smoking
• Limit chemical exposure – rubber, leather, printing materials, painting, certain hair dyes, etc.
• Drink plenty of liquids (mainly water)
• Eat a healthy diet that includes lots of fruits and vegetables

Resource: Can Bladder Cancer Be Prevented? | American Cancer Society

• Blood in the urine. This is the most common symptom.
• Pain during urination.
• Having to urinate often.
• Lower back pain.
• Pelvic pain.

• Smoking
• Arsenic in drinking water
• Dietary supplements containing aristolochic acid
• Diabetes medicine pioglitazone
• Certain industrial chemicals, called aromatic amines, such as benzidine and beta-naphthylamine
• Men are more commonly diagnosed than women
• Race/ethnicity – White people are about twice as likely to develop bladder cancer as African Americans and Hispanics.
• Chronic bladder irritation and infections
• Family or personal history of bladder or other urothelial cancer
• Bladder birth defects
• Chemotherapy or radiation therapy

Resource: Bladder Cancer Risk Factors | Risk for Bladder Cancer | American Cancer Society

• An estimated 84,530 new cases of bladder cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2026, and an estimated 17,870 deaths will occur.
• Bladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer in men.
• The lifetime risk of developing bladder cancer in the U.S. is about 1 in 28 for men and 1 in 89 for women
• Caucasians are about twice more 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 79%

The NFCR-Supported and Past-Supported Researchers have programs that will prevent, detect and improve outcomes for bladder cancer patients.

Select a research below to learn more about their specific work.