What is bladder cancer?
Bladder cancer starts in the cells of the bladder. A cancerous (malignant) tumour is a group of cancer cells that can grow into nearby tissue and destroy it. The tumour can also spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.
The bladder is part of the
Cells in the bladder sometimes change and no longer grow or behave normally. These
changes may lead to non-cancerous (benign) tumours such as papillomas. They can also
lead to non-cancerous conditions such as
But in some cases, changes to bladder cells can cause bladder cancer. Most often, bladder cancer starts in urothelial cells that line the inside of the bladder. This type of cancer is called urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (also called transitional cell carcinoma). Urothelial carcinomas make up more than 90% of all bladder cancers. They are often diagnosed at an early stage and have not grown into the deeper muscle layer of the bladder wall.
Rare types of bladder cancer can also develop. These include squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the bladder.
The bladder
Cancerous tumours of the bladder
Non-cancerous tumours and conditions of the bladder
Your trusted source for accurate cancer information
With support from readers like you, we can continue to provide the highest quality cancer information for over 100 types of cancer.
We’re here to ensure easy access to accurate cancer information for you and the millions of people who visit this website every year. But we can’t do it alone.
Every donation helps fund reliable cancer information, compassionate support services and the most promising research. Please give today because every contribution counts. Thank you.