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Genitourinary Oncology Program

Bladder Cancer

What is Bladder Cancer?

The bladder is a hollow organ in the lower part of the abdomen that stores urine. It is shaped like a small balloon, and it has a muscular wall that allows it to change in size. Urine is the liquid waste that is made by the kidneys when they clean the blood.

Urine passes from the two kidneys into the bladder through two tubes called ureters. When the bladder is emptied during urination, the urine goes from the bladder to the outside of the body through another tube called the urethra.

Bladder cancer is a disease in which cancerous cells are found in the bladder. A person with any of the following symptoms should see a doctor: blood in the urine (urine that looks bright red or rusty), pain during urination, passing urine often, or feeling the need to urinate even though nothing comes out.

If a patient has these symptoms, a doctor may use several tests to look for cancer of the bladder. A urine sample may be sent to a laboratory for tests to see if any cancer cells are present. The doctor may also do an internal examination by inserting gloved fingers into the vagina and/or rectum to feel for lumps.

The doctor may then order a special x-ray called an intravenous pyelogram (IVP). For this x-ray, a special dye containing iodine is injected into a vein. The dye goes into the urine, making the bladder easier to see on the x-rays. The patient may feel warm as the dye is injected.

A doctor may also look directly into the bladder with a thin, lighted tube called a cytoscope. The cytoscope is inserted into the bladder through the urethra. If the doctor finds tissue that is not normal, he or she doctor will need to cut out a small piece of this tissue and look at it under the microscope to see if there are any cancer cells. This procedure is called a biopsy. Other special x-rays may also be done to help diagnose cancer of the bladder.

The chance of recovery from the disease (prognosis) and the choice of treatment for bladder cancer depend on the stage of the cancer (whether it is just in the lining of the bladder or has spread to other places in the body) and the patient's general state of health.

This page was last updated on: October 28, 2008.

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