Bladder cancer
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What is bladder cancer?
- Bladder cancer is a cancer of the urinary bladder, the organ in which urine is stored before it leaves the body1
- The cancer usually starts in the inner lining of the bladder and may spread into the other layers of the bladder, including the muscle layer1,2
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Types of bladder cancer
- Types of bladder cancer are named according to the type of cells seen in the tumour1
- Transitional cell carcinoma is the most common type1
- It can also be classified as follows, depending on how far it has spread:1,2
- Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer
- Muscle-invasive bladder cancer
- Locally advanced or metastatic bladder cancer
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Who gets bladder cancer?
- Bladder cancer mostly affects older people; more than 50% of cases are diagnosed in people aged over 75 years2
- Bladder cancer is more common in males than in females2
- Smokers are 3 times as likely to get bladder cancer as non-smokers3
- It is the 9th most common cancer worldwide4
- 430,000 new cases were diagnosed worldwide in 20124
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Screening, detection, and diagnosis
- The first test used to diagnose bladder cancer is cytoscopy5
- A CT scan, MRI, or intravenous urogram might be used to get a more detailed picture5
If the cystoscopy shows abnormalities, a biopsy will be taken during a procedure called a transurethral resection of bladder tumour5
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Patient guidelines
A patient guideline is a document containing information for patients and their families about their disease and the treatment options available to them
Click here to see the European patient guideline on your condition6
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Local support groups
Contacting a support group may help you during diagnosis and treatment and afterwards
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Infographics
Click here for information on the incidence of bladder cancer in Europe7
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