Bladder Cancer Information
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What is Bladder Cancer?
Bladder cancer afflicts the hollow, pear-shaped organ which sits within the abdomen. The kidneys produce urine which passes to the bladder. When full, the bladder excretes urine through the urethra. Three layers of muscular walls surround the bladder and aid in expelling urine. Overall, the bladder’s function is highly important and cancerous cells invading the bladder can create significant discomfort.
According to the American Cancer Society, over 68,000 Americans are diagnosed with bladder cancer each year. The National Cancer Institute suggests that bladder cancer occurs more often in industrialized countries than in non-industrialized countries. For example, the incidence of bladder cancer is approximately 70 percent lower in Asia and South America than in the United States and Canada.
Bladder cancer can affect individuals at any stage of their lives. Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) provides conventional treatments and complementary medicine therapies to fight the disease on all fronts.
At CTCA, you will be assigned a care team comprised expert oncologists and clinicians from a variety of disciplines. Your team will help you decide what type of bladder cancer treatments will work best for you. Throughout your bladder cancer treatment, your team will encourage you and provide clear information and answers to your questions so you can relax and focus on healing.
Types of Bladder Cancer
There are three types of bladder cancer. Each begins in different types of cells in the lining of the bladder, hence the name for each cancer type.
- Adenocarcinoma afflicts the glandular cells. This type of bladder cancer may form as a result of bladder irritation or infection and is often invasive.
- Squamous cell carcinoma, which stems from flat bladder cells, may also follow an infection similar to adenocarcinoma and is often invasive.
- Transitional cell carcinoma, otherwise known as urothelial, affects the tissue layer on the inner rim of the bladder.
Small cell carcinoma is the rarest form of bladder cancer and accounts for less than one percent of all cases in the United States.
CTCA cancer experts encounter patients with different forms of bladder cancer at different stages. They are skilled in providing innovative treatment options for many patients.
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