Bladder Cancer Facts and Statistics

In 2011, it is estimated that nearly 70,000 new cases of bladder cancer will be diagnosed and nearly 15,000 people will die from the disease. Bladder Cancer is the 5th most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States – 4th among men (after prostate, lung, and colon) and 11th among women.

There are over 520,000 bladder cancer survivors in the United States.

As with most cancers, early detection of bladder cancer is critical to long term survival.

While men get bladder cancer more often than women, women are more likely to present with advanced tumors than men and have a worse prognosis at almost every stage of the disease.

The most common symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine, which is also a common symptom of urinary tract infection.

The cause of bladder cancer is not yet known, but there are certain risk factors that can lead to the disease. These are:

• Smoking:  Smoking is the greatest risk factor. Smokers get bladder cancer twice as often as people who do not smoke.
• Chemical Exposure:  Some chemicals used in the making of dye have been linked to bladder cancer. People who work with chemicals called aromatic amines may have a higher risk. These chemicals are used in making rubber, leather, printing materials, textiles, and paint products.

Bladder cancer has a recurrence rate of 50-80% and because it requires life-long surveillance, it is the most expensive cancer to treat on a per patient basis. It is estimated that approximately $2.9 billion is spent in the United States each year on the treatment of bladder cancer.

Learn more about the resources BCAN provides to the bladder cancer community, and our efforts to raise awareness and advance research.