Name of the medical condition and other names that it’s been known by

• Bladder Cancer

• Urothelial carcinoma

• Transitional cell carcinoma

 

What is Bladder Cancer?

Bladder cancer is a condition where abnormal cells in the bladder start growing out of control. The bladder is a hollow organ in the lower part of your belly that stores urine.

 

Most bladder cancers start in the bladder's inner lining, called the urothelium.

 

There are different types of bladder cancer:

• The most common is urothelial carcinoma, which makes up about 90% of all cases. This type starts in the cells that line the inside of the bladder.

• Other less common types include squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma.

 

Doctors describe bladder cancer based on how far it has spread into the bladder wall:

• Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer is only in the lining of the bladder and hasn't grown into the deeper layers.

• Muscle-invasive bladder cancer has grown into the muscle layer of the bladder or beyond.

 

Symptoms of bladder cancer can include:

• Blood in the urine

• Frequent urination

• Painful urination

• Pelvic pain

• Back pain. 

If you notice these symptoms, it's important to see a doctor.

 

To diagnose bladder cancer, doctors may use tests like:

• Cystoscopy (where a tiny camera is used to look inside the bladder)

• Urine tests

• Imaging tests like CT scans

 

Treatment options depend on the type and stage of cancer but can include:

• Surgery

• Chemotherapy

• Radiation therapy

• Immunotherapy

• Targeted drug therapy

 

Trend
• In the United States, bladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer. About 82,290 new cases of bladder cancer are expected to be diagnosed in 2023.

• Approximately 574,000 people in the US are living with bladder cancer as of 2023.

• Over the past five years (2018-2022), there were about 400,000 new cases of bladder cancer diagnosed in the United States.

• Looking ahead five years, it's projected that the number of new bladder cancer cases will continue to increase slightly each year, potentially reaching around 85,000-90,000 new cases annually by 2028.

 

History
Bladder cancer has been known since ancient times. In the 19th century, doctors started to understand more about bladder tumors.

 

The first successful removal of a bladder tumor was done in 1874. In the early 20th century, doctors began using cystoscopes to look inside the bladder and diagnose cancer more accurately.

 

Treatment methods improved over time, with chemotherapy introduced in the 1960s and newer therapies like immunotherapy developed in recent decades. Research continues to find better ways to detect and treat bladder cancer.

 

Source of Information

• American Cancer Society

• Mayo Clinic

 

For informational purposes only. Consult a medical professional for advice.