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Malignant Bladder Cancer Prognosis

All bladder cancers are malignant, since "malignant" is simply a term that means "contains cancer cells." Bladder cancer occurs in the organ of the human body that stores urine. The bladder is a balloon-shaped organ in the pelvic region. Bladder cancer typically begins on the inside bladder walls and commonly affects older adults. However, the condition has been known to affect those of any age. Although most bladder cancer is detected in its early stages, there is a good chance it will recur. According to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research the prognosis for this condition is based on the stage of the cancer.

  1. Stage 0

    • The earliest stage of bladder cancer is stage 0. At this stage the cancer is noninvasive; the cancerous cells have begun to form, but they have not invaded the muscle or connective tissue. There is no chance the cancer has had the opportunity to spread to the lymph nodes or other nearby areas of the body. Prognosis for this stage of bladder cancer is good. The American Cancer Society determines prognosis for patients based on a five-year survivability rate. The five-year survivability rate for someone with Stage 0 bladder cancer is 98 percent.

    Stage I

    • Stage 1 is still considered early in the stages of cancer cell growth. Cancerous cells are seen growing and they have invaded the bladder muscle and tissue but have not grown into the connective tissue. There is still no chance at this stage that the cancer has spread to lymph nodes or nearby parts of the body. The five-year prognosis for someone with Stage 1 cancer is 88 percent. (American Cancer Society, Inc., 2009)

    Stage II

    • In stage 2 of bladder cancer, the cancerous cells have spread into the thick layer of muscle that surrounds the bladder wall. The cancer has not penetrated the layer of fatty tissue that surrounds the bladder's outside. Cancer cells have not spread to lymph nodes or other nearby organs. Prognosis at this stage is less positive than if detected in Stage 0 or 1, but the survivability rate is still more than half. The American Cancer Society reports that the five-year survivability rate is approximately 63 percent for patients diagnosed at this stage of the cancer progression.

    Stage III

    • Stage 3 bladder cancer is indicated by the depth of cancerous cell growth. In this stage, the cancer is considered invasive. The cancer has grown completely through the layers of the outside bladder wall and may have spread to other body parts, including nearby organs or glands such as the prostate, uterus or vagina. The cancer cells are not yet growing into the wall of abdomen and there is still no chance the growth has extended into the lymph nodes or other sites in the body that are not nearby the original growth area. Bladder cancer at this stage is still treatable. The further along a patient is diagnosed, however, the less hopeful the prognosis. Stage 3 prognosis for a five-year survivability rate is slightly less than half, at 46 percent. (American Cancer Society, Inc., 2009)

    Stage IV

    • Stage 4 is the last stage of bladder cancer. Cancerous cells have invaded the bladder wall completely and have begun to invade the wall of the abdomen or pelvic wall as well. It is highly likely that at this stage of cell growth, the cancer may have spread to the lymph nodes or other distant body parts such as the bones, liver or lungs. There is treatment for this stage of the condition, but the five-year prognosis for someone with this stage of bladder cancer is not very good--only 15 percent. (American Cancer Society, Inc., 2009)

    Warning

    • Be sure to visit your doctor if you notice blood in your urine, have painful or frequent urination, back pain or abdominal pain.

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