Life is not indefinite, and when faced with a urothelial carcinoma or other bladder cancer diagnosis, the truth becomes even more uncertain. However, knowing information such as bladder cancer survival rates can help patients better understand their treatment options as they navigate decisions. Overall, US cancer rates are decreasing, but what does the forecast look like for specifics, such as bladder cancer survival rates by age and other factors for those facing metastatic bladder cancer and similar challenges?

What is Bladder Cancer?

Bladder cancer can begin when cells inside the bladder start to grow out of control. When cells accumulate, they can form a bladder tumor which has the potential to spread to other parts of the body, becoming metastatic bladder cancer. Since the kidneys and bladder work closely together in the body, kidney cancer and bladder cancer are often correlated. 

Urothelial carcinoma (or UCC) is the most common type of bladder cancer, originating in the urothelial cells of the bladder lining. Squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and small cell carcinoma are less frequent types of bladder cancer. 

Once bladder cancer is detected, treatments might include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, with recurring CT or MRI scans to ensure that the cancer hasn’t spread or returned.

Bladder Cancer Prognosis—What Are The Survival Rates?

Understanding bladder cancer prognosis and bladder cancer survival rates won’t tell a patient how long they will live. Still, knowing some numbers can help make discussions with their healthcare team simpler.

Cancer death rates are declining in the United States. The five-year survival rate for for those diagnosed with bladder cancer is 78%. Bladder cancer life expectancy increases if the threat stays in the bladder itself, hovering at 98%. But, if the bladder cancer has spread to other parts of the body (called metastasizing), bladder cancer mortality rates are lower. In these cases, there is 8% survival over a five-year period for cancer that has spread outside of the bladder region. How likely a patient is to recover depends on several factors. These include treatment choices, location, stage, type of cancer, and age.

Bladder Cancer Survival Rates By Age

Bladder cancer is more commonly diagnosed in older people, with an average diagnosis age of 73. 90% of cases are detected in people over 55. Age tends to impact bladder cancer survival as well. Studies have shown that those diagnosed at over 75 years of age tend to have the lowest survival rate. The five year bladder cancer survival rate by age for young adults 15-39 is almost 90%. For those in their 40s-60s, survival rate decreases slightly to 82.2%. However, not much information is available on survival rates among children, as bladder cancer is so infrequently diagnosed at a young age that appropriate sample sizes for study are not available. 

Bladder Cancer Remission Rate

Bladder cancer remission means that one is free of all signs and symptoms of the disease. Some survivors might experience recurrence, or reappearance, of their cancer rather than total remission. Five year recurrence rates for bladder cancer are dependent on similar factors as survival rates. Recurrence rates for bladder cancer are approximately 65% for cases confined to the bladder, rising to 73% for those with more advanced stages at initial diagnosis. Overall bladder cancer remission rates are approximately 35%-27%. 

Life After Bladder Cancer

Life after cancer can seem difficult to navigate, but there are steps patients can take to help return to normalcy. Still, it is key to continue health monitoring, which may include regular screenings, such as CT scans, MRIs, or checkups to identify potential recurrence and keep an eye out for related problems. Cancer can sometimes increase patient risk for other health complications like cardiovascular disease. 

Cancer Support

Cancer support is an incredibly useful tool as patients navigate their bladder cancer diagnosis, or attempt to return to normal life as a cancer survivor. New York City patients can take advantage of our Recovery Survivorship Program to connect with other individuals who have faced similar struggles. If patients are outside of the Queens area, they may explore opportunities for support in their community, starting with local hospitals and treatment centers. Let us know how we can help!

Sources:

• “Bladder Cancer: Statistics”, Cancer.net, 2023.
• “Bladder Cancer Survival Rates By Age: Key Insights & Statistics”,Surles, Taneia, MPH, 2024. 
• “Impact of Age of Diagnosis of Bladder Cancer on Survival: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, & End-Results Based Study 2004-2015”, Lin, W., Pan, X., Zhang, C., Ye, B. & Song, J., 2023. 
• “Recurrence of High-Risk Bladder Cancer: A Population-Based Analysis”, Chamie, K., Litwin, M.S., Bassett, J.C., Daskivich, T.J., Lai, J., Hanley, J.M., Konety, B.R., Saigal, C.S., 2013. 
• “Survival Rates for Bladder Cancer”,American Cancer Society, 2024
• “Treatment of Bladder Cancer, By Stage”, American Cancer Society, 2023.