Diagnosing Urothelial Bladder Cancer (UBC)

Urothelial bladder cancer is the most common type of bladder cancer. 

• About 19,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with bladder cancer every year. 

• Bladder cancer is more common in men — but women have lower survival rates . 

• Black women with bladder cancer have worse outcomes than white women. 

There are several ways to diagnose bladder cancer

• Cystoscopy — a cystoscope (a thin, lighted tube) is inserted into your urethra to give your healthcare provider (HCP) a look at of the inside of your bladder

• Biopsy — Cells from your bladder are collected to test them for cancer during a cystoscopy or TURBT

• Transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) — removal of tumors from the bladder lining or bladder muscle

• TURBT can also sometimes double as treatment

• Urine tests

• Urine cytology — urine is examined under a microscope to check for cancer cells

• Urine biomarker tests — urine is tested for substances (called biomarkers or tumor markers) that are made by bladder cancer cells

• Imaging tests — a CT urogram or retrograde pyelogram X-ray allows your HCP to get a good look at your urinary tract  

Symptoms of UBC

Symptoms of UBC include:

• Blood in your pee

• Pain when you pee

• Needing to pee a lot

• Trouble peeing 

• A bladder infection that won’t go away 

Talk to your HCP if you have any of these symptoms. 

Finding bladder cancer early is key 

Depending on the type, bladder cancer has a five-year survival rate between 80% -96% when caught early. 

The sooner you get a bladder cancer diagnosis, the sooner you can start treating it — and the better your chances of beating it. 

Resources

Bladder Cancer Action Network

This educational resource was created with support fro m BD and Merck.