The bladder is a balloon-like organ that stores urine. Tumors of the urinary bladder will account for about 4 percent of all new cancers in the United States in the year 2006. It is more common in men, than women. The average age of the person being diagnosed with bladder cancer is 68. The number of people with bladder cancer has been on the rise in the past 20 years.

The five-year survival rates for bladder cancer have improved markedly over the past thirty years. This is primarily because it is being found earlier and the treatments used to treat it are more effective. In about three-quarters of cases bladder cancer is confined to the inner lining of the bladder (superficial disease) and can be treated with local internal surgery and topical medication. Invasive cancer with deeper roots still is most commonly treated with bladder removal but techniques for complete bladder replacement are available for most. Better tolerated and more effective intravenous chemotherapy is provided for patients with advanced or metastatic disease.

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