Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men in the UK affecting around 7,500 men each year. It is one of the most effectively treated of the common cancers, however, over 3,000 men still die of bladder cancer each year, mainly because the cancer is detected in its late stages.
The most common type of bladder cancer is called transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) and accounts for 90% of bladder cancers. TCC starts in the lining cell layer of the bladder. Other types of bladder cancer include squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas.
If the cancer is only in the bladder lining, it is called a superficial cancer. If it has spread to the muscle wall of the bladder it is called an invasive cancer.
Invasive cancers can spread through the bladder wall into nearby organs such as the prostate gland, the bowel, or lymph nodes. Further spread to other organs such as the bones and liver can occur.
Causes and Risk Factors
Half of bladder cancers occur in people over the age of 70 and the disease is very rare in people under 40 years of age. Smoking is probably the most common cause of bladder cancer in the UK. Smokers are two to three times more likely to develop bladder cancer than non-smokers. A family history of bladder cancer, or chronic infection caused by the tropical disease bilharzia also increases the risk of bladder cancer.
