Types of Cancer :: What is Bladder Cancer?

Bladder cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the bladder.

 

The bladder is a hollow organ in the lower part of the abdomen . It is shaped like a small balloon and has a muscular wall that allows it to get larger or smaller. The bladder stores urine until it is passed out of the body. Urine is the liquid waste that is made by the kidneys when they clean the blood . The urine passes from the two kidneys into the bladder through two tubes called ureters. When the bladder is emptied during urination, the urine goes from the bladder to the outside of the body through another tube called the urethra .

 

There are three types of bladder cancer that begin in cells in the lining of the bladder. These cancers are named for the type of cells that become malignant (cancerous):

 

* Transitional cell carcinoma : Cancer that begins in cells in the innermost tissue layer of the bladder. These cells are able to change shape depending on whether the bladder is full or empty and may be stretched without breaking apart. Most bladder cancers begin in the transitional cells.

* Squamous cell carcinoma : Cancer that begins in squamous cells , which are thin, flat cells that may form in the bladder after long-term infection or irritation.

* Adenocarcinoma : Cancer that begins in glandular (secretory) cells. Glandular cells in the lining of the bladder produce and release fluids such as mucus.

 

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