Types of Bladder Cancer

Types of Bladder Cancer

Bladder tumors are grouped into several types by how their cells look under a microscope. These different types of bladder cancer are really totally different diseases and their treatments are not the same.

Some types of bladder cancer are:

  • transitional cell carcinoma (also called urothelial carcinoma) (most common form of bladder cancer)
  • squamous cell carcinoma (less than 5% of bladder cancers in the US. Often associated with schistosoiasis in parts of Africa.)
  • adenocarcinoma (about 1%)
  • small cell carcinoma
  • rhabdomyosarcomas (most commonly occurs in children)
  • leiomyosarcoma (a tumor arising from smooth muscle)