What type of bladder cancer were you diagnosed with?
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What are the types of bladder cancer?
Bladder cancer is classified on the basis of the appearance of its cells
under the microscope (histological type). The type of bladder cancer has
implications in selecting the appropriate treatment for the disease. For
example, certain types may not respond to
radiation and chemotherapy as well as
others. The extent of surgery required for maximizing the chances of cure may
also be impacted by the histological type of the cancer.
The more common types of bladder cancer and their relative incidence are
given below:
Urothelial carcinoma (previously known as "transitional cell carcinoma") is
the most common type and comprises 90%-95% of all bladder cancers. It is strongly
associated with cigarette smoking.
Adenocarcinoma of the bladder comprises
about 2% of all bladder cancers and is associated with prolonged inflammation
and irritation.
Squamous cell carcinoma comprises 1%-2% of bladder cancers and
is also associated with prolonged infection, inflammation, and irritation such as
that associated with longstanding stones in the bladder. In certain parts of
the Middle East and Africa (for example, Egypt), this is the predominant form of bladder
cancer and is associated with chronic infection caused by Schistosoma worm (a
blood fluke, that causes Schistosomiasis, also termed bilharzia or snail fever).
Other rare forms of bladder cancer include small cell cancer,
pheochromocytoma, and
sarcoma.