Bladder Cancer
Stages
The
chances of recovery are determined by the stage of the disease. Staging is essential
for better treatment and usually it can be determined at the time of diagnosis.
Staging is based on imaging studies (such as CT scans, x-ray films, or ultrasound)
and biopsy results. The main features of each stage of the bladder cancer are :
-
Stage 0 - cancer
cells are found only on the surface of the inner lining of the bladder. This is
called noninvasive cancer or superficial cancer or carcinoma in situ.
-
Stage
1 - cancer cells has started to grow into the connective or supporting tissue
beneath the bladder lining. They have not spread to the muscular bladder wall.
-
Stage
2 - cancer cells has invaded the muscular bladder wall and spread to the muscle
of the bladder.
-
Stage 3 - cancer cells have spread through the muscular
bladder wall to the surrounding tissues. They may have spread to the prostate
in men or to the uterus or vagina (in women).
-
Stage 4 - cancer has extend
to the wall of the abdomen or to the wall of the pelvis. They may have spread
to lymph nodes and other parts of the body far away from the bladder, such as
the liver, lungs, or bones
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