Bladder Cancer Stories

Bladder cancer starts when cells that make up the urinary bladder start to grow out of control. As more cancer cells develop, they can form a tumor and, with time, spread to other parts of the body.

Bladder cancers are often described based on how far they have spread into the wall of the bladder:

• Non-invasive: tumors in a small section of tissue or cancer that’s only on or near the surface of your bladder.
• Non-muscle-invasive: moved deeper into your bladder but hasn’t spread to muscle.
• Muscle-invasive: has grown into bladder wall muscle and may have spread into the fatty layers or tissues on organs outside of your bladder.

Bladder Cancer 101

Check out our bladder cancer overview and get answers to some of the most common questions about it. Then get real-world answers from our patient stories.

• Types of bladder cancer
• How bladder cancer spreads
• Bladder cancer stages
• Gender differences

Bladder Cancer Stories

Vickie D., Bladder Cancer



Symptoms: Intermittent pain in the gut and burning sesnsation

Treatments: Chemotherapy (dd-MVAC), surgery (cystectomy)

Michelle R., Recurrent Bladder Cancer, Stage 1



Symptoms: Irregular occurrences of seeing streaks of blood in urine, specific type of pain when bladder is full, unexplained weight loss, urinary urgency, malaise, fatigue
Treatments: Chemotherapy (gemcitabine), surgery (TURBT: transurethral resection of bladder tumor)

Margo W., Bladder Cancer, Stage 1



Symptom: Blood in urine



Treatments: Chemotherapy (methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin & cisplatin), surgery (radical cystectomy)

LaSonya D.



Symptom: Blood in urine
Treatment: BCG immunotherapy, cystectomy (bladder removal surgery)

LaSonya D., High-Grade Bladder Cancer

Symptom: Clumps of blood in urine Treatments: Surgery (bladder removal, Indiana pouch), BCG immunotherapy

Bladder Cancer Resources

Bladder Cancer Causes & Symptoms

Understand common bladder cancer causes, urine color, symptoms, and treatments as described by real patients./p>
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Bladder Cancer Series



Bladder cancer patients Ebony & LaSonya talk about their cancer journey, including their first symptoms, how they processed their diagnosis, treatment options, and how they found support. Dr. Samuel Washington, a urologic surgeon, also gives an overview of bladder cancer and its treatments.
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Diagnosis and Treatment for Bladder Cancer

Learn about the diagnosis and treatment process from bladder cancer survivors and medical experts. Discover diagnosis and treatment options./p>

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Bladder Cancer Medical Experts

Testicular Cancer: What Patients Need to Know



Medical oncologist Alok Tewari, MD, PhD, who specializes in cancers arising from the genitourinary tract, discusses what patients need to know about testicular cancer.

Dr. Christopher Weight, M.D.



Role: Center Director Urologic Oncology
Focus: Urological oncology, including kidney, prostate, bladder cancers
Provider: Cleveland Clinic

Dr. Samuel Washington, MD, MAS



Role: Assistant Professor of Urology, UCSF



Focus: Treatment disparities in bladder cancer treatment



Provider: University of California San Francisco

More Information About Bladder Cancer

For more information about Bladder Cancer and additional patients stories visit the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network’s (BCAN) website.

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