Bladder cancer

Bladder cancer starts in the inner lining of the bladder. The bladder stores urine and is in the lower part of your tummy (abdomen).

The main symptom of bladder cancer is blood in your urine. Other symptoms include problems passing urine, pain, feeling tired and weight loss.

Smoking tobacco is the biggest cause of bladder cancer in the UK. There are some other risk factors that can increase your risk.

You usually start by seeing your GP. They ask about your symptoms and may examine you. They then might refer you to a specialist. The tests you may have include urine tests, a test to look inside your bladder (cytoscopy) and scans.

The main type of bladder cancer is urothelial bladder cancer. The stage tells you about the size of the cancer and whether it has spread. The grade means how abnormal the cells look under the microscope.

Your treatment options depend on the stage, type and grade of your bladder cancer. Treatments include surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Metastatic bladder cancer means that a cancer that began in the bladder has spread to another part of the body.

Researchers are looking into better ways to diagnose and treat bladder cancer. Talk to your cancer specialist if you are interested in taking part in a clinical trial.

Coping with bladder cancer can be difficult. There are things you can do to help, and people who can support you practically and emotionally.

Survival depends on several factors including the stage and type of your bladder cancer. This page includes general statistics based on large groups of people.