Bladder Cancer: 10 Terms to Know

With over 70,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the United States, bladder cancer is fairly common. Being as educated as possible about a disease is the best way to protect yourself against it. Here are some important terms you should know about bladder cancer.

1. Bladder: This is the balloon-shaped organ that stores urine and is located in your pelvic area. The inner lining of the bladder is usually where cancer begins.
2. Transitional cell carcinoma: This is a type of bladder cancer that occurs in the cells that line the inside of your bladder. This is the most common type found in the United States.
3. Squamous cell carcinoma: This type of bladder cancer typically occurs as a response to irritation or infection. Although this type of bladder cancer is rare in the United States, it is fairly common in certain parts of the world where schistosomiasis, a certain kind of parasitic infection, is a prevalent cause of bladder infections.
4. Adenocarcinoma: This is the rarest form of bladder cancer, and it begins in the cells that make up the mucus-secreting glands in your bladder.
5. Cyclophosphamide: This is an anti-cancer medication that can increase your risk of developing bladder cancer if you have taken it in the past as a treatment for other cancers.
6. Pioglitazone: This is an ingredient in several diabetes medications. If you take this medication for more than a year, it will also increase your risk for developing bladder cancer.
7. Cystitis: This is a condition that causes chronic or repeated urinary infections or inflammations. This can sometimes be caused by the long-term use of a catheter. Crystitis can increase your risk for developing certain types of bladder cancer, such as squamous cell carcinoma.
8. Cystoscopy: This is a diagnostic test that is performed that allows your doctor to examine the inside of your bladder and urethra. You will usually receive a local anesthetic and then a narrow tube equipped with a lens and a fiber-optic lighting system will be inserted into your bladder through your urethra.
9. TURBT: This is a procedure known as a transurethral resection of bladder tumor. If you have bladder cancer that is confined to the inner layers of your bladder, this is a common treatment used to remove the tumor without removing any of your bladder. It involves inserting a wire loop through a cystoscope into your bladder that is used to burn away cancer cells with an electric current or a high-energy laser beam. This procedure can also be used diagnostically to take a small biopsy of your bladder.
10. Cystectomy: There are two different types of cystectomies: segmental and radical. During a segmental cystectomy, the surgeon will remove only the portion of your bladder that contains cancer cells. This is usually only done if your cancer is limited to one specific area of the bladder that will not harm bladder function. Alternatively, a radical cystectomy is an operation that removes the entire bladder, as well as the surrounding lymph nodes. For men, the prostate and seminal vesicles are also usually removed, while for women it is common to also remove the uterus, ovaries, and part of the vagina.