Bladder Cancer

When To Call A Professional

Call your doctor immediately if you notice blood in your urine, or if your urine turns the color of rust. Also, call your doctor if you begin to urinate more often than normal, or if urination is painful or uncomfortable in any way.

Prognosis

The outlook depends on the stage of bladder cancer and the type of treatment used. Overall, up to 80 percent of patients with superficial tumors survive for at least five years after diagnosis. For patients whose tumors have invaded the bladder muscle, the five-year survival rate may be as high as 75 percent. Patients with more invasive tumors or metastatic tumors generally have a poorer prognosis, with five-year survival rates of 40 percent or less.

Additional Info

National Cancer Institute (NCI) Building 31 Room 10A03 31 Center Dr., MSC 2580 Bethesda, MD 20892-2580 Phone: (301) 435-3848 Toll-Free: (800) 422-6237 http://www.nci.nih.gov/

American Foundation for Urologic Disease 1128 North Charles St. Baltimore, MD 21201 Phone: (410) 468-1800 Toll-Free: (800) 242-2383 Fax: (410) 468-1808 http://www.afud.org/

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 4676 Columbia Parkway, Mail Stop C-18 Cincinnati, OH 45226 Toll-Free: (800) 356-4674 Fax: (513) 533-8573 http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/