Infographic: Bladder Cancer By Mayo Clinic Staff Share Facebook Twitter Print details Hide Text The Key to Beating Bladder Cancer Bladder cancer is the sixth most common form of cancer. 79,000 new cases this year in the U.S. 3x more common in men than women 90% of those diagnosed are over 55 years old 2x more common in Caucasians than African Americans It's highly treatable in early stages. Stage at detection Ta Grows in the inner layer of the bladder Papillary tumor Tis Grows along the lining of the bladder Flat tumor T1 Limited to bladder lining and connective tissue Bladder lining T2 In the bladder muscle Bladder muscle T3 Through the bladder muscle and into the fatty tissue Fatty tissue T4 Has spread to other organs Peritoneum Early detection dramatically increases survival rates. Watch for symptoms. See your doctor if you have: Blood in urine Frequent and/or painful urination Back and pelvic pain Ask your doctor about screening if you are high risk: Male Age 55+ Smoker Treatment is available at any stage. Minimally invasive surgery: Removes small tumors from the lining of the bladder, or a small portion of the bladder (partial cystectomy). Biological therapy: Applies a biological drug to the bladder to get the immune system to fight the cancer. Chemotherapy: Uses drugs to fight the cancer. Radiation therapy: Uses high energy beams to destroy the cancer cells. Bladder removal (radical cystectomy): Surgically removes the entire bladder and surrounding lymph nodes. Surgically created urinary tract replacement: The surgeon may use part of the intestine to create a new urinary conduit or fashion a new bladder. Sources: MayoClinic.org; Cancer.org; NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov. IFG-20441506