Bladder cancer is a disease in which a tumor is found in the tissues of the bladder. Bladder cancers can form in many locations in and around the bladder, including the ureters and the lining of the kidneys (called renal pelvis). Bladder cancer cells can penetrate through the different layers of the wall of the bladder. The deeper the invasion, the more likely for those cancer cells to spread outside of the bladder to near or distant organs.
Unfortunately, we still do not know exactly what causes most bladder cancers. However, we have identified some risk factors that would increase the likelihood of a person to develop bladder cancer.