Treatment Options for Bladder Cancer

Prognosis for Bladder Cancer

The prognosis (outlook) for patients with bladder cancer depends upon numerous factors that vary from person to person. In general, the prognosis is influenced by both the characteristics of the tumor as well as individual patient characteristics. Important prognostic indicators include:

• Type of bladder tumor
• Stage of the disease
• Whether the bladder tumor is primary or recurrent
• Whether or not the cancer has spread to regional lymph nodes
• Number of lymph nodes resected at the time of surgery
• Whether or not the tumor has spread to distant sites
• Age of the patient
• Patient's smoking history
• Patient's performance status
• Presence of other underlying medical conditions
• Patient's response to treatment

According to the American Cancer Society, the 5-year survival rate for patients with all types of bladder cancer is approximately 80% to 85%. As a general rule, the 5-year survival rate is higher (over 90%) for tumors that are confined to the bladder but drops significantly for tumors that have spread beyond the bladder wall to the regional lymph nodes or other nearby organs. Unfortunately, bladder cancer that has metastasized to distant sites carries a very poor prognosis with a relative 5-year survival rate of only about 5%.