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If bladder cancer spreads

  1. Home
  2. Cancer information
  3. Cancer types
  4. Bladder
  5. If cancer spreads

Cancer cells can spread from the bladder to other parts of the body and develop into a new tumour. The new tumour is called a metastasis or secondary tumour.

Understanding how a type of cancer usually grows and spreads helps your healthcare team plan your treatment and future care. If bladder cancer spreads, it is most likely to spread to the following:

  • lymph nodes
  • prostate
  • vagina
  • uterus
  • rectum
  • abdominal or pelvic wall
  • lung
  • bone
  • liver

Expert review and references

  • Brierley JD, Gospodarowicz MK, Wittekind C (eds.). TNM Classification of Malignant Tumours. 8th ed. Wiley Blackwell; 2017.
  • Feldman AS, Efstathiou JA, Lee RJ, Dahl DM, Michaelson MD, Zietman AL . Cancer of the bladder, ureter, and renal pelvis. DeVita VT Jr, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA. Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. 10th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2015: 65:896-916.
  • Penn Medicine . All About Bladder Cancer . University of Pennsylvania ; 2017 : https://www.oncolink.org/.