Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States. It develops as an abnormal growth of cells on the lining of the urinary bladder. One or more bladder cancers may develop at the same time in different parts of the bladder.

While the cause of bladder cancer is not always known, it is three times more likely to develop in smokers than in nonsmokers. Experts believe that smoking causes 50 to 60 percent of bladder cancer in men and 25 percent of bladder cancer in women.

The most common symptoms found in patients with bladder cancer include blood in the urine, pain during urination, urinating small amounts frequently, or frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs). More commonly, however, such symptoms are caused by other, less dangerous diagnoses.