Bladder Cancer: An Unmerciful Killer

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Bladder Cancer:
An Unmerciful Killer
“Cancer is the disruption of the orderly and regulated cycle of cell replication and division under the control of our genes” (Handout). There are more than one hundred different forms of cancer that can attack almost any part of the body. One form of cancer that affects more people than most are aware of is bladder cancer. It is the “growth of abnormal cells in the lining of the bladder” (WebMD). The bladder is the pouch in the urinary tract where urine collects until emptied during urination.
There are many types and subtypes of bladder cancer. Urothelial Carcinoma (TCC) is the most common. More than ninety percent of all bladder cancers a subtype of TCC. Dependent on whether they are flat or papillary and whether they are noninvasive or invasive is how they are categorized. Invasive means whether or not it has spread beyond the innermost layer(s). Papillary tumors have fingerlike projections that extend into the bladder. “Invasion of the thick, deep muscle layer of the bladder is much more serious than invasion that is limited to the superficial connective tissue layer or the superficial, thin, muscle layer” (American Cancer Society).
A mere two percent of all bladder cancers in the United States are classified as squamos cell carcinomas. Under a microscope, these tumors highly resemble skin cancer cells. These types are almost always invasive. Adenocarcinomas make up around one to two percent of all bladder cancers. Having gland forming cells similar to those of intestinal cancers, all adenocarcinomas of the bladder are invasive. The determination of the type of bladder cancer is important in deciding treatment since each form responds differently.
Establishing the stage of the cancer is the most important factor in choosing treatment options since it aids in generating a prognosis for the patient. The staging system employed by the American Joint Committee on ...