Bladder cancer starts in the cells of the bladder. The bladder is an integral part of the urinary system – it is a hollow organ in the pelvis which stores urine before it is eliminated from the body. Nearly all of these cancers start in the lining of the bladder, and are called urothelial carcinomas. These are often diagnosed at an early stage, before they have grown into the muscle wall of the bladder and become invasive.
About this Cancer
- Bladder Cancer is the 5th most common cancer in Canada with more than 90% of cases occurring in adults aged over 50.
- According to the Canadian Cancer Society Statistics (2023), bladder cancer was estimated to account for 8.2% of 124,200 male cancer cases (1,018 cases) and 2.8% of 114,900 female cancer cases (348 cases). The mortality rate has decreased by -3.4% per year since 2016.
- According to 2024 CCS estimations, bladder cancer is expected to account for the 4th most commonly diagnosed cancer among males in 2024, and 10/11th among females.
- It is also expected that around 12,300 new bladder cancer cases will be diagnosed (9,300 men and 3,000 women) and 2,600 will die from the disease (1,900 men and 740 women).
Source: Canadian Cancer Society
- Symptoms usually appear as the tumor gets bigger, rather than in its early stages.
- Orange, pink, or red urine (sometimes unnoticeable amounts of blood)
- More frequent and more urgent urination
- Burning or pain during urination
- Having difficulty urinating
- Low back, pelvic, or abdominal pain
- Weight loss
- Swelling in the feet
Check out the Canadian Cancer Society, American Cancer Society, or Cleveland Clinic for more information.
- Smoking tobacco (cigarettes, cigars, pipes…)
- Arsenic (a substance found in nature, such as rocks and soil)
- Contact with chemicals at work (related to rubber, paint, metal, etc.)
- Aristolochic acids (naturally found in plants)
- Opium
- Previous chemotherapy or radiation therapy
- Chronic bladder irritation
- Bladder birth defects
- Lynch syndrome (Type B)
Check out the Canadian Cancer Society, Cleveland Clinic, or NHS for more information.
- Health history (record of past symptoms, risks, and medical events and problems)
- Pelvic exam or digital rectal exam
- Urinalysis, urine culture, or urine cytology
- Cystoscopy (examination inside the bladder)
- Biopsy (removing a sample tissue)
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- Blood chemistry tests
- Intravenous pyelogram (IVP)
- Ultrasound
- Additional tests to determine the stage of cancer:
- CT scan
- MRI
- Chest x-ray
- Bone scan
Check out the Canadian Cancer Society, Cleveland Clinic, or the Mayo Clinic for more information.
- Treatments depend on whether the cancer is non-muscle-invasive, muscle-invasive, at an early stage, or not. They include the following:
- Surgery
- TURBT (Trans Urethral Resection of Bladder Tumour)
- Cystectomy
- Pelvic lymph node dissection
- Urinary diversion
- Immunotherapy
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation therapy
- Targeted therapy
Check out the Canadian Cancer Society, Mayo Clinic, Hopkins Medicine, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, or Macmillanfor more information.
Stories from Survivors
- Beth’s story: 22 years with bladder cancer
- Glady’s Story
- Jennifer B
- Joe: Bladder Cancer Survivor
- Katrina Williams: 19 Years and Counting
- Keith Fox’s story: How I Coped with My Emotions During Bladder Cancer
- Michele’s Story: Bladder Cancer Survivor
- Randy Layne: Facing Bladder Cancer Together
- Susan Corcoran: Clinical Trial Uses Patient’s Own Immune System to Fight Bladder Cancer
- Anita – My Big Fat British Bladder Tumour
- BladderGraffiti
- C is for Carrie
- Steve – Got bladder cancer?
- It’s Me…..Emily
- Ken’s Cancer Blog
- My Bladder Cancer Journey
- Jack – Surviving bladder cancer
- Action Bladder Cancer UK Blog
- Cxbladder Blog
- Fight Bladder Cancer UK – Our Blog
- Patient Stories – Cancer Research UK
- Patient Stories – Fox Chase Cancer Center
- Patient Stories & Blog – Action Bladder Cancer UK
- Real Stories – Fight Bladder Cancer UK
- Stories – The Patient Story
- Stories – Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN)
Resources
- BCAN’s Patient Handbook: Bladder Cancer Basics (PDF)
- BCC Discussion Forums
- Blind to Bladder Cancer? It’s a Woman Thing (Article)
- Bladder Cancer WebCafe (Website)
- Bladder Cancer: The Basics (YouTube)
- Bladder Cancer: Overview (YouTube)
- Bladder Cancer Patient Guide (PDF)
- Can Bladder Cancer Be Prevented? (Article)
- Diet and Nutrition for Bladder Cancer (Article)
- Mayo Clinic Explains Bladder Cancer (YouTube)
- Overactive Bladder Patient Guide (PDF)
- What are the Signs of Bladder Cancer? (YouTube)
- Government of Canada – Bladder Cancer in Canada
- Information for Bladder Cancer Caregivers
- Living as a Bladder Cancer Survivor
- August 12th, 2024 – New Study Aims to Improve Bladder Cancer Treatment with High-Dose Intravenous Vitamin C – University of Kansas Cancer Center
- March 22, 2024 – Arab world’s impact on bladder cancer research and opportunities for growth – Lippincott Journals
- March 16, 2024 – Diabetes and the risk of bladder cancer subtypes in men and women – Springer Link
- February 16, 2024 – Occupational exposure to organic solvents and risk of bladder cancer – Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology
- February 12, 2024 – Advances in diagnosis and treatment of bladder cancer – thebmj
- November 30, 2023 – Groundbreaking Trial Results Expand Treatment Options for Some People with Bladder Cancer – National Cancer Institute
- September 4, 2023 – Biological differences underlying sex and gender disparities in bladder cancer: current synopsis and future directions – Oncogenesis
- August 21, 2023 – The sex gap in bladder cancer survival — a missing link in bladder cancer care? – nature reviews urology
- August 2023 – Epidemiology of Bladder Cancer in 2023: A Systematic Review of Risk Factors – ScienceDirect
- July 27, 2023 – Loss of Y Chromosome in Men Makes Bladder Cancer More Aggressive – National Cancer Institute
- July 2023 – Genome-wide Association Study of Bladder Cancer Reveals New Biological and Translational Insights – ScienceDirect
- March 21, 2023 – Immunotherapy after Surgery Shows Long-Term Benefits for High-Risk Bladder Cancer – National Cancer Institute
- March 13, 2023 – Global trends in the epidemiology of bladder cancer: challenges for public health and clinical practice – nature reviews clinical oncology
- December 13, 2022 – The current status of gene therapy in bladder cancer – Taylor & Francis
- October 18, 2022 – Single-cell sequencing technologies in bladder cancer research: Applications and challenges – Frontiers
- July 24, 2021 – Bladder Cancer: Current Challenges and Future Directions – MDPI
- May 5, 2021 – Nanotechnology in Bladder Cancer: Diagnosis and Treatment – MDPI
- December 2, 2020 – Advances in Bladder Cancer Biology and Therapy – Nature Reviews Cancer
- October 21, 2020 – Occupational bladder cancer: A cross section survey of previous employments, tasks and exposures matched to cancer phenotypes – PLOS ONE
- August 23, 2020 – Mutational Landscape and Environmental Effects in Bladder Cancer – MDPI
- May 2, 2020 – Immunotherapy in Bladder Cancer: Current Methods and Future Perspectives – MDPI
- March 13, 2020 – Epidemiology of Bladder Cancer – MDPI
- University of Birmingham – Research & Publications
Bladder Cancer Groups
Bladder Cancer Canada: Bladder Cancer Canada is the first and only Canadian patient advocacy organization dedicated to bladder cancer issues.” Founded in 2009 to help with the lack of resources and support for bladder cancer patients, “BCC is a national, registered charitable non-profit corporation that has helped untold numbers of bladder cancer patients and their caregivers to cope with this disease.”
Visit them at http://www.bladdercancercanada.org/en/
- American Bladder Cancer Society (USA)
- Action Bladder Cancer UK (UK)
- Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (USA)
- Bladder Cancer Australia Charity Foundation (Australia)
- Bladder Cancer Net (USA)
- CX Bladder (Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, USA)
- Fight Bladder Cancer UK (UK)
- World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition (WBCPC) (Belgium)