The five-year relative survival rate for bladder cancer is 79.1%. This means that, overall, people diagnosed with bladder cancer are about 79% as likely as people without bladder cancer to be alive five years after diagnosis. This statistic includes bladder cancers diagnosed at all stages and is based on people diagnosed from 2016 through 2022.
Survival rates are estimates based on large groups of people. They cannot predict exactly what will happen for one person. A person's outlook depends on factors such as the cancer's stage and grade, whether it has grown into the bladder muscle, the type of bladder cancer, age, overall health, and how the cancer responds to treatment.
Survival statistics
Five-year relative survival compares people with bladder cancer with people in the general population who are the same age and sex. It helps show the effect of bladder cancer on survival while accounting for deaths from other causes.
Five-year relative survival rates also vary based on how far the cancer has spread when it is diagnosed:
- In situ: 98.0%. The cancer is only in the layer of cells where it began.
- Localized: 73.0%. The cancer is confined to the bladder.
- Regional: 41.8%. The cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes or nearby tissues or organs.
- Distant: 9.6%. The cancer has spread to distant parts of the body.
These categories describe how far the cancer has spread. They are not the same as bladder cancer stages 0 through 4.
How bladder cancer affects long-term survival varies. In one study that followed people for up to 25 years, the risk of dying of bladder cancer was low for people with low-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. People with high-risk disease continued to have a risk of dying of bladder cancer many years after diagnosis.
For high-grade non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, about 70% to 85% of people are alive 10 years later without having died of bladder cancer. This is called cancer-specific survival. The rate is higher for low-grade disease.
Survival rates by age and sex
Five-year relative survival rates also vary by age and sex. Available data show different survival patterns for people younger than 50, ages 50 to 64, and ages 65 and older. These population trends describe groups of people, but they cannot predict an individual person's life expectancy.
What you can do
Some things that affect survival, such as your age and the cancer's stage, cannot be changed. But getting recommended treatment and follow-up care is important. If you smoke, quitting can improve your overall health and lower your risk of other smoking-related diseases. Ask your healthcare team how your stage, grade and response to treatment may affect your outlook.
Survival statistics are based on people treated in earlier years. Treatments can change over time, so the statistics may not reflect newer treatments. This is especially true for long-term studies. Your healthcare team can explain how newer treatments may affect your outlook.
Aug. 28, 2026