Bladder Cancer

The bladder is a hollow organ in the lower abdomen. Its primary function is to store urine, the waste that is produced when the kidneys filter the blood. Urine passes from the two kidneys into the bladder through two tubes called ureters and urine leaves the bladder through another tube called the urethra. The bladder has a muscular wall that allows it to get larger and smaller as urine is stored or emptied.The most common sign of bladder cancer is hematuria or blood in the urine, which will turn the urine rust or red in color. Other signs of bladder cancer may include pain during urination and frequent urination. Most patients with bladder cancer do not have symptoms other than hematuria.

Unfortunately, most bladder cancers are not diagnosed until they have become very large. As a result, research is ongoing in order to develop urine tests that would enable earlier detection of bladder cancer when it is small and more easily treated. There are several promising tests under evaluation, but currently none are reliable enough for routine use.

Cancers confined to the inner lining of the bladder are called "superficial" and comprise 70-80% of all bladder cancers. Cancers that have spread into the bladder wall are called "deep" bladder cancers and those that have spread to lymph nodes and/or distantly to lungs, liver or other organs are referred to as "metastatic.”