Staging bladder cancer involves gathering as many details as possible. These details help you and your doctors make key treatment decisions. They also help you understand your bladder cancer prognosis (the predicted outcome of the cancer).
At the Abramson Cancer Center, we stage a large number of bladder cancers in our integrated program. Our patients benefit from a team of world-class bladder cancer experts who share their expertise to more precisely stage tumors and improve prognoses.
What Is Cancer Staging?
Staging systems provide doctors with a common language for describing tumors. If you are diagnosed with bladder cancer, you should undergo a series of tests to investigate the extent of the cancer (how much there is). These tests can also show if the cancer has spread to other parts of your body.
Staging is a way to:
- Record the size, aggressiveness and growth of a cancer
- Determine the plan for treatment
- Gather the information needed to make informed decisions about your treatment
Why Bladder Cancer Staging Is Important
Staging bladder cancer helps your medical team compare your situation to other patients with bladder cancer. Your doctors can also review clinical studies on groups of patients in similar cancer stages. This information can help them predict how the cancer may behave and how different treatments may work.
Learn more about bladder cancer treatments.
What Are the Stages of Bladder Cancer?
The stages of bladder cancer are:
- Stage 0: Abnormal cells are in the lining of the bladder.
- Stage I: Cancer cells have formed and spread to the layer of tissue under the inner lining of the bladder.
- Stage II: Cancer has spread to the inner or outer muscle layer of the bladder.
- Stage III: Cancer has spread from the bladder to the layer of tissue surrounding the bladder. It may have also spread to the nearby reproductive organs.
- Stage IV: Cancer has spread from the bladder to the wall of the abdomen (stomach) or pelvis (the area between the abdomen and thighs). Cancer may also have spread to other parts of the body.
Bladder Cancer Grading
To improve your chances for successful treatment, our bladder cancer specialists gather as much information as possible about the cancer. This information includes the cancer’s grade.
The grade shows how aggressive the cancer is. It also helps you understand your personal risk for cancer recurrence.
To determine the cancer’s grade, our dedicated urologic cancer pathologists view bladder cancer cells under a microscope. Their special ability to analyze these cells gives a more thorough diagnosis that informs individualized, effective treatment plans.
Bladder cancers are either:
- Low-grade: These cancers are slow growing. They are also less aggressive than high-grade tumors.
- High-grade: The prognosis of high-grade bladder cancer tends to be worse. These cancers are more likely to spread beyond the bladder and come back.
How We Stage Bladder Cancer
To stage bladder cancer, we use methods you may be familiar with, such as physical exams and blood tests. We also use advanced procedures and imaging tests, such as CT scans and biopsies, to get as many details as possible about the cancer.
At the Abramson Cancer Center, our radiologists are bladder cancer experts. They only review the images of patients who have or are suspected to have urologic cancers like bladder cancer.
Because our radiologists see these cancers every day and at every stage, they often notice key details that others may miss. Learn more about bladder cancer diagnosis.
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