Disease Information

The type of bladder cancer you have depends on the type of cell in which the cancer began. Pathologists can diagnose the type of cancer by looking at tumor cells under a microscope.

Bladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the United States after lung cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, and melanoma. It is the fourth most common cancer in men and the twelfth most common cancer in women. Of the roughly 83,000 new cases annually, about 64,000 are in men and about 19,000 are in women. Of the roughly 17,000 annual deaths, more than 12,000 are in men and fewer than 5,000 are in women. The reasons for this disparity between the sexes are not well understood.

Anatomy

The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, the ureters, the bladder, and the urethra. The urinary tract is lined with transitional cell urothelium from the renal pelvis to the proximal urethra. Transitional cell carcinoma (also referred to as urothelial carcinoma) can develop anywhere along this pathway. (Source: National Cancer Institute) 

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), research shows Caucasians are twice as likely to develop bladder cancer as African Americans, but African Americans are more likely to die from the disease.