Urothelial carcinoma

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Survival rates

Survival for urothelial carcinoma depends on where the cancer started, its stage and grade, whether it has spread, and your overall health. Survival statistics refer to large groups of people and cannot predict exactly what will happen for any one person.

Most urothelial carcinomas start in the bladder. The population survival statistics below are specifically for bladder cancer.

Survival statistics for bladder cancer

Five-year relative survival compares people with bladder cancer with similar people in the general population. It helps show how bladder cancer affects survival while taking into account other causes of death.

Five-year relative survival rates also vary by age and sex.

Current data reports five-year relative survival of:

  • 98.0% for in situ bladder cancer.
  • 73.0% for localized disease.
  • 41.8% for regional disease.
  • 9.6% for distant disease.

These categories describe how far the cancer has spread. They are not the same as bladder cancer stages 0 through 4.

Long-term outlook also varies by risk. A 25-year study found a low risk of dying of bladder cancer for people with low-grade non-muscle invasive disease. People with high-grade non-muscle invasive disease continued to have a risk of dying of bladder cancer many years after diagnosis.

What affects outlook

Ask your healthcare team how your cancer's location, stage, grade and response to treatment may affect your outlook. Survival statistics are based on people treated in earlier years, so they may not reflect how well newer treatments work.

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StagesDoctors & departments
Oct. 02, 2026

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Urothelial carcinoma