Untreated Bladder Cancer Life Expectancy

What Is A 5

A relative survival rate compares people with the same type and stage of bladder cancer to people in the overall population. For example, if the 5-year relative survival rate for a specific stage of bladder cancer is 90%, it means that people who have that cancer are, on average, about 90% as likely as people who dont have that cancer to live for at least 5 years after being diagnosed.

What Impacts The Bladder Cancer Survival Rate

Survival rates depend on many factors, including the type and stage of bladder cancer that is diagnosed. According to the ACS, the five-year survival rate of people with bladder cancer that has not spread beyond the inner layer of the bladder wall is 96%. This is called non-muscle invasive bladder cancer . More than half of people are diagnosed at this stage.

If a tumor is invasive but has not yet spread outside the bladder, the five-year survival rate is 69%. Approximately 33% of bladders cancers are diagnosed at this stage. If the cancer extends through the bladder to the surrounding tissue or has spread to nearby lymph nodes or organs, the five-year survival rate is 37%. If the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, the five-year survival rate is 6%. About 4% of people are diagnosed at this stage.

It is important to remember that statistics about the five-year survival rates for people with bladder cancer are estimates only and come from annual data based on the number of people with this cancer. A number of new and promising bladder cancer treatments that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the last five years might not be reflected in a five-year survival rate statistic.

Just like no single treatment is appropriate for all bladder cancer patients, there is not one statistic that applies to everyone either. Talk with your doctor about your own individual situation to gain the best understanding you can.

Types Of Bladder Cancer

Once diagnosed, bladder cancer can be classified by how far it has spread.

If the cancerous cells are contained inside the lining of the bladder, doctors describe it as non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer . This is the most common type of bladder cancer.

When the cancerous cells spread beyond the lining, into the surrounding bladder muscle, it’s referred to as muscle-invasive bladder cancer . This is less common, but has a higher chance of spreading to other parts of the body.

If bladder cancer has spread to other parts of the body, it’s known as advanced or metastatic bladder cancer.

Read more about diagnosing bladder cancer.

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How Is Bladder Cancer Treated

Treatment for bladder cancer depends on

• The stage of cancer.

Treatment options based on tumor grade

• High-grade bladder cancer: High-grade cancers that are life-threatening and spread quickly need to be treated with chemotherapy, radiation or surgery.
• Low-grade cancers: Less aggressive cancers have a low chance of becoming high grade and do not require aggressive treatments, such as radiation or bladder removal.

Treatment options may vary depending on the tumor stage.

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Managing Bone Pain And Weakness

Symptoms like nausea, hot flashes, and pain can usually be relieved with medication. Some people find that complimentary treatments like acupuncture or massage help manage side effects.

Your doctor may also recommend orthopedic surgery to stabilize your bones, relieve pain, and help prevent bone fractures.

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Causes Of Bladder Cancer

Most cases of bladder cancer appear to be caused by exposure to harmful substances, which lead to abnormal changes in the bladder’s cells over many years.

Tobacco smoke is a common cause and it’s estimated that more than 1 in 3 cases of bladder cancer are caused by smoking.

Contact with certain chemicals previously used in manufacturing is also known to cause bladder cancer. However, these substances have since been banned.

Read more about the causes of bladder cancer.

How Long Will You Live If You Have Bladder Cancer

The survival rate depends on the stage of cancer at diagnosis and other health issues.

Overall, 70 to 90 percent of people with localized bladder cancerwill live for at least five years or more. The physician calculates this with the help of survival rates. Survival rates indicate the percentage of people who live with a certain type of cancer for a specific time. The physician often uses an overall five-year survival rate. Factors that may affect survival rate include

Table. Five-year survival rates of different stages of bladder cancer

The surveillance, epidemiology, and end results stages are taken from the SEER database, maintained by the National Cancer Institute. SEER database groups cancers into localized, regional, and distant stages.

• Localized: There is no indication that cancer has spread outside the bladder.
• Regional: Cancer has invaded the nearby structures or lymph nodes.
• Distant: Cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, such as the lungs, liver, or bones.

Thus, bladder cancer, if detected in the early stage is treatable and has higher survival rates. However, if the cancer is detected in the advanced stages, treatment becomes difficult and the survival rate is low.

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Expectancy And Survival Rates

An expectancy rate can be termed as the same as survival rate. However, a survival rate can be given in terms of a certain duration of time, whereas an expectancy rate is mostly in terms of a person’s whole life. Bladder cancer is a disease that affects many people differently. Hence, determining its expectancy rate can be difficult. Nevertheless, looking at the disease’s survival rate can give the right answers.

Survival rates are figures that give you how many people have survived with a certain similar disease after diagnosis and for how long. Through this, one can be able to estimate the expectancy rate of a person living with the disease.

In the case of bladder cancer, it happens in stages, which means that every stage has a different effect on the patient.

Talking To Andrews Doctor

For fifteen months, Andrew responded really well to treatment and was feeling reasonably good. But then he developed a very bad spinal cord compression. He was unable to walk and at that point it was clear that things were very serious. He spent nearly a month in hospital and his consultant told us that the cancer was back with a vengeance and that they wanted to fast track him home.

Andrew didnt want to know how long he might have. I know that he knew what the score was but that he just didnt want to speak about it.

Andrew didnt want to know how long he might have.

I asked Andrews doctor how long he might live for. She told me that she could give me some indication of how long Andrew might live for if I wanted to know. I wasnt sure that I wanted to know if Andrew didnt it might have created a barrier between us.

I wanted to know what I should expect. But I wasnt sure that I wanted to know how long Andrew would live for if he didnât know.

But I wanted to know what I should expect. I needed to plan what was going to happen when he came home, the arrangements that would need to be made and whether I needed to speak to other members of our family and friends. At this point I think I felt quite out of control, so speaking to the consultant was my way of regaining some of that control and it helped me to plan for his homecoming.

Its difficult to accept that cancer takes its own route at its own pace.

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Prognosis In Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Tumor stage, lymph node involvement, and tumor grade have been shown to be of independent prognostic value in SCC. However, pathologic stage is the most important prognostic factor. In one relatively large series of 154 cases, the overall 5-year survival rate was 56% for pT1 and 68% for pT2 tumors. However, the 5-year survival rate for pT3 and pT4 tumors was only 19%.

Several studies have demonstrated grading to be a significant morphologic parameter in SCC. In one series, 5-year survival rates for grade 1, 2, and 3 SCC was 62%, 52%, and 35%, respectively. In the same study of patients undergoing cystectomy, the investigators suggested that a higher number of newly formed blood vessels predicts unfavorable disease outcome.

In SCC, the survival rate appears to be better with radical surgery than with radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy. In locally advanced tumors, however, neoadjuvant radiation improves the outcome. Sex and age have not been prognostically significant in SCC.

Signs Of Approaching Death

Death from cancer usually occurs after a person has become weaker and more tired over several weeks or months. It is not always possible to predict how long someone will live. But some common signs and symptoms show that a person is entering the final weeks and days of life. Knowing what to expect helps relieve anxiety and allows better planning.

The following are signs and symptoms that suggest a person with cancer may be entering the final weeks of life:

• Worsening weakness and exhaustion.

• A need to sleep much of the time, often spending most of the day in bed or resting.

• Weight loss and muscle thinning or loss.

• Minimal or no appetite and difficulty eating or swallowing fluids.

• Little interest in doing things that were previously important.

• Loss of interest in the outside world, news, politics, entertainment, and local events.

• Wanting to have only a few people nearby and limiting time spent with visitors.

As the last days of life approach, you may see the following signs and symptoms:

Of course, every person is different. The signs and symptoms that people experience vary. And the order in which signs and symptoms occur may differ.

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Expectancy Rate In Relation To Risk Factors

In most cases, the development of bladder cancer from one stage to another is due to having the following risk factors:

• Age – As people grow older with the disease, their bodies become weaker to fight off infections. Moreover, being diagnosed with the disease in old age lowers the rate of survival.

• Family history – Having a history of bladder cancer within the family can increase the people’s risk of getting the same type of cancer.

• Occupational exposure – According to a scientific research, people who are exposed to certain chemicals can increase their risk of developing bladder cancer. Some of these chemicals can also increase the effects of cancer in the body. These are the chemicals that are contained in dyes, metals, paints, as well as petroleum products.

• Genetic mutations – a genetic mutation is a big factor in cancer determination. If there is a genetic mutation, this means that most of your functions are altered. Having genetic mutations in the bladder can result in either positive or negative effects. The negative effects will reduce the survival rate of a person with bladder cancer.

Stages Of Prostate Cancer

In order to determine the stage of a patients prostate cancer, most doctors start by using the TNM staging system, which helps describe different aspects of the cancers growth.

• T the T category measures the size and extent of the Tumor
• N the N category measures whether and how far the cancer has spread to the Lymph Nodes
• M the M category whether the cancer has spread to other organs in the body (a process called Metastasis

The score for each of these categories is determined based on a pre-determined set of criteria. Your doctor cannot feel or see the tumor with a score of T1. A score of T3 means that the tumor has begun to grow outside of the prostate.

After calculating the TNM categories, doctors will combine the TNM score with the patients Gleason score and PSA levels assigning of a specific stage to the patients cancer.

Prostate cancer prognosis and survival rates can help give patients an idea of their chances of surviving the disease based on the stage and time of diagnosis. While some patients may find this information helpful, others may not want to know.

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Life Expectancy At Stage 0 Cervical Cancer

At 0 stage, the malignant cells affect only the surface of the organ. This stage is not included in the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics system and is called in situ carcinoma.

Zero stage cervical cancer is curable. Patients undergo surgery to remove the tumour. More than 99% of women pass the 5-year survival threshold.

At this stage, the disease has no symptoms. Therefore, it is only possible to detect the development of the disease during gynaecological examinations.

At stage 0, the disease is diagnosed in women between the ages of 31 and 36. Only 7% of women manage to detect the disease of the in situ stage.

Life expectancy also depends on the age of the patient. The younger the woman, the higher the chances of remission. The overall 5-year survival rate according to the age criterion is:

Stage 1A1 cancer has penetrated organ tissue less than 3 mm 95%

Stage 1A2 tumor has penetrated 3-5 mm of organ tissue 90%

Stage 1B1 1-2 cm in size 80%

Stage 1B2 tumor size 2 to 4 cm 75%

Stage 1B3 tumor larger than 4 centimeters 65%

The survival rate is influenced by the age of the patient, the presence of comorbid pathologies, the treatment program, and the patients lifestyle. The younger the patient, the higher the chances of winning the fight against the disease. The overall 5-year survival rate for cervical cancer is 66%.

Risk Factors For Late Recurrence

While there dont seem to be many risk factors for early bladder cancer recurrence, there are a few risk factors for late recurrence of bladder cancer that have been noted in multiple studies. Multiple studies have shown that having a radical cystectomy at a younger age can be a risk factor for recurrence. Patients who have bladder cancer that is not confined to the bladder, or that has involvement in the surrounding muscle tissue may also be at risk for late recurrence, but there is a need for more studies to show a better correlation. Finally, bladder cancer that involves the prostate may also be at risk for a late recurrence.

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What Is The First Sign Of Bladder Cancer

Blood in the urine, referred to as hematuria, is usually the first sign of bladder cancer. This is because early bladder cancer commonly causes bleeding without associated pain or other symptoms.

• Depending on the amount of blood present, urine may appear pink, red, or brownish in color.
• Blood may not be present all the time – there may be relatively long periods of clear urine .

If you have noticed blood in your urine it is important to speak to your doctor as soon as possible.

Other early symptoms of bladder cancer that may be experienced are urinary irritation or changes in bladder habits, such as increased urination frequency and/or urgency, pain or a burning sensation during urination, or difficulty passing urine.

How Do Healthcare Providers Diagnose Bladder Cancer

Healthcare providers do a series of tests to diagnose bladder cancer, including:

• Urinalysis: Providers use a variety of tests to analyze your pee. In this case, they may do urinalysis to rule out infection.
• Cytology: Providers examine cells under a microscope for signs of cancer.
• Cystoscopy: This is the primary test to identify and diagnose bladder cancer. For this test, providers use a pencil-sized lighted tube called a cystoscope to view the inside of your bladder and urethra. They may use a fluorescent dye and a special blue light that makes it easier to see cancer in your bladder. Providers may also take tissue samples while doing cystoscopies.

If urinalysis, cytology and cystoscopy results show you have bladder cancer, healthcare providers then do tests to learn more about the cancer, including:

Healthcare providers then use what they learn about the cancer to stage the disease. Staging cancer helps providers plan treatment and develop a potential prognosis or expected outcome.

Bladder cancer can be either early stage or invasive .

The stages range from TA to IV . In the earliest stages , the cancer is confined to the lining of your bladder or in the connective tissue just below the lining, but hasnt invaded the main muscle wall of your bladder.

Stages II to IV denote invasive cancer:

A more sophisticated and preferred staging system is TNM, which stands for tumor, node involvement and metastases. In this system:

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Survival Rate By Cervical Cancer Histotype

Malignant neoplasms of the cervix are divided into 2 main histological types: squamous cell tumours and adenocarcinomas. Squamous cell cancer accounts for more than 90% of all cases. For adenocarcinoma, the statistics are less optimistic. This is because such tumours are less often detected at an early stage.

Risk Factors For Bladder Cancer

There are some things that can make you more likely to develop bladder cancer. These are called risk factors and they include:

• smoking chemicals in cigarettes can cause bladder cancer, so if you smoke, your risk is up to three times that of a non-smoker
• age most people with bladder cancer are over 60 years of age
• family history a first degree relative with bladder cancer increases risk up to nearly 2 times higher than the general population
• chemicals being in contact with certain chemicals for a long period of time, like aromatic amines, benzene products and aniline dyes, which have been linked to bladder cancer
• frequent infections of the bladder over a long period of time
• some types of radiation therapy around the pelvis, and the chemotherapy drug cyclophosphamide.

Having these risk factors doesnt mean you will develop bladder cancer. Often there is no clear reason for getting bladder cancer. If you are worried about your risk factors, ask your doctor for advice.

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