Bladder Cancer

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

Statistics

  • 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

  • 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.

Risk Factors

  • 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.

Diagnosis

  • 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.

Treatment

  • 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

Resources

Latest Research

Bladder Cancer Groups

Canada

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/