Bladder Cancer

If you’re diagnosed with bladder cancer, it means cells in your bladder — a hollow organ in the lower pelvis — have grown out of control and may have even spread to other parts of the body.

Each year, more than 80,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with this type of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). It makes up about 4% of all cancers in the United States. 

At North Kansas City Hospital Cancer Center, we have experience treating bladder cancer, and we’re dedicated to caring for your specific diagnosis — accounting for your personal needs and treatment goals. 

We’ll treat your cancer holistically, treating not just your cancer, but your whole person.

Types of Bladder Cancer

There are three main types of bladder cancer, including:

• Adenocarcinomas, which begin in the cells found in the mucus glands of the bladder
• Squamous cell carcinomas, which develop in the cells of the bladder and can result from chronic irritation of the bladder’s lining
• Urothelial carcinomas (also called transitional cell carcinomas), which start in the cells that line the bladder, renal pelvis, ureters, urethra and other organs.

Two less common forms of bladder cancer include sarcomas, which develop in the muscle cells of the bladder, and small cell carcinomas, which start in the nerve-like neuroendocrine cells and grow quickly.

Bladder Cancer Risk Factors

Having a risk factor for bladder cancer doesn’t mean you’ll develop the disease, but it does increase your likelihood. If you know you’re at a higher risk for bladder cancer, you can take steps to lower it. 

Smoking, for instance, triples your risk of developing bladder cancer, according to the ACS, and causes about half of all bladder cancers.

Risk factors for bladder cancer include:

• A family history of bladder cancer
• A personal history of bladder or other urothelial cancer
• Arsenic in drinking water
• Bladder birth defects
• Certain dietary supplements containing aristolochic acid
• Chronic bladder irritation and infections
• Exposure to certain industrial chemicals, like benzidine and beta-naphthylamine, which are sometimes used in the dye industry
• Gender, with men more likely to develop bladder cancer than women
• Longtime use of the chemotherapy drug cyclophosphamide 
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Older age, with 9 out of 10 people developing the cancer after age 55
• Radiation therapy to the pelvis to treat other types of cancer
• Smoking

Symptoms of Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer often causes signs or symptoms before the disease has metastasized (or spread) to other parts of the body. When cancer is caught early, it’s easier to treat. 

Early bladder cancer symptoms include:

• Blood in the urine (called hematuria)
• Changes in urination, such as feeling the urge to urinate more often
• Signs of irritation, such as pain or burning during urination

Diagnostic Tests for Bladder Cancer

If you or your doctor suspects bladder cancer, we’ll likely recommend diagnostic tests to gather more information. 

Some of the tests we may recommend include:

• CT scan: An imaging tests that uses a series of X-rays to take detailed images of the body
• Cystoscopy: A procedure that uses a tiny camera to view the inside of the bladder or urethra
• Intravenous/retrograde pyelogram: An X-ray technique that uses injectable dyes to take detailed images of the ureter and kidneys
• MRI: An X-ray technique that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce detailed 3D images of the body’s organs
• Transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT): A procedure using a scope inserted into the urethra to diagnose and treat early-stage bladder cancer
• Urine lab test: A test that analyzes urine to detect a range of health issues

Bladder Cancer Treatment Options

Bladder cancer treatment typically depends on the specific type of cancer you have and your individual preferences and treatment goals. 

The bladder cancer treatments we may recommend include:

• Chemotherapy, which helps kill cancerous cells with chemical substances
• Immunotherapy, which stimulates an immune response to help fight disease
• Intravesical therapy, which inserts liquid medication into the bladder through a urinary catheter to help prevent cancer from growing back
• Radiation therapy, which uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors
• Surgery, which removes either a portion of a tumor or the entire tumor
• Targeted therapy, which uses targeted drugs to interfere with proteins that help tumors grow, divide and spread