Is Superficial Bladder Cancer serious?

Fortunately, superficial bladder cancer is highly treatable. The initial step is to find the cancer. When cancer is suspected, patients have a CT scan to look for problems in the kidney, ureter (tube between the kidney and bladder), and the bladder. They then have a cystoscopy in the doctor’s office.

How often do bladder tumors recur?

The 2-, 5, and 10-year recurrence rates were 61.1%, 69.5%, and 74.3%. The 2-, 5-, and 10-year progression rates were 12.8%, 22.8%, and 33.3%.

What type of bladder cancer keeps coming back?

Recurrent Superficial Bladder Cancer Patients with a diagnosis of superficial bladder cancer have frequent recurrences of cancer throughout their lives. Most of the time, these recurrences are non-invasive and not life threatening.

Can superficial bladder cancer be cured?

These cancers can be cured with treatment. During long-term follow-up care, more superficial cancers are often found in the bladder or in other parts of the urinary system. Although these new cancers do need to be treated, they rarely are deeply invasive or life threatening.

What is the survival rate of superficial bladder cancer?

The overall 10-year survival rate was 73%. Eight patients died and four of them showed an invasive change, the so-called metamorphosis, during the follow-up period. Patients with papillary, pedunculated tumors had better survival rates than those with papillary, sessile tumors.

Can superficial bladder cancer metastasis?

Approximately 70% of newly diagnosed cases of bladder cancer represent superficial disease that, despite a high risk of local recurrence, rarely progress to invasive or metastatic disease.

What happens if bladder cancer keeps coming back?

Low-grade bladder cancers recur frequently, and recurrences require treatment with a procedure called transurethral resection for bladder tumor, or TURBT. Some patients experience multiple recurrences and, as a result, undergo repeated surgeries.

How long can you live with recurrent bladder cancer?

The general 5-year survival rate for people with bladder cancer (i.e., the percentage of patients who would be expected to survive the effects of their bladder cancer for 5 years or more) is 77%, while the 10-year survival rate is 70% and the 15-year survival rate is 65%1.

Can superficial bladder cancer become invasive?

These results demonstrate that superficial, low grade transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder can become muscle invasive despite careful surveillance and a long dormant period.

What is the best treatment for superficial bladder cancer?

The main treatment for superficial bladder cancer is TURBT or TUR (transurethral resection), which is used to remove the entire tumor. That may be all you need at this time. The tumor grade will help determine if you need further treatment. In some cases, you may need chemotherapy.

Can BCG treatment be repeated?

In patients who develop a CIS recurrence after a single prior BCG failure, repeat BCG-based therapy should be administered. Repeat BCG monotherapy has demonstrated a 2-year disease-free rate of 30–42% in two small studies [2, 59].

What happens if BCG treatment doesn’t work?

BCG failure usually carries a risk of recurrence but rarely of progression. For low-grade failure, intravesical chemotherapy is a valid option. This scenario is different from that where BCG intravesical therapy is unsuccessful in high-risk T1 disease and/or CIS, where a risk of progression may sometimes reach 50%.

What is the treatment for recurrent bladder cancer?

Does bladder cancer keep returning?

Bladder cancer cells can recur in the bladder or they can recur in other parts of the body. Some people who are treated for bladder cancer never have a recurrence. Although recurrence is not uncommon among people who are treated for bladder cancer, in many cases the recurrence can be treated effectively.

What does it mean when a tumor is superficial?

Affecting cells on the surface. Not invasive.