Cancer Stat Facts: Bladder Cancer

At a Glance

Rate of New Cases and Deaths per 100,000: The rate of new cases of bladder cancer was 18.2 per 100,000 men and women per year. The death rate was 4.2 per 100,000 men and women per year. These rates are age-adjusted and based on 2016–2020 cases and deaths.

Lifetime Risk of Developing Cancer: Approximately 2.3 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with bladder cancer at some point during their lifetime, based on 2017–2019 data.

Prevalence of This Cancer: In 2020, there were an estimated 725,549 people living with bladder cancer in the United States.

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How Many People Survive 5 Years Or More after Being Diagnosed with Bladder Cancer?

Relative survival is an estimate of the percentage of patients who would be expected to survive the effects of their cancer. It excludes the risk of dying from other causes. Because survival statistics are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. No two patients are entirely alike, and treatment and responses to treatment can vary greatly.

5-Year
Relative Survival

77.9%

Based on data from SEER 22 (Excluding IL/MA) 2013–2019. Gray figures represent those who have died from bladder cancer. Green figures represent those who have survived 5 years or more.

Survival by Stage

Cancer stage at diagnosis, which refers to extent of a cancer in the body, determines treatment options and has a strong influence on the length of survival. In general, if the cancer is found only in the part of the body where it started it is localized (sometimes referred to as stage 1). If it has spread to a different part of the body, the stage is regional or distant. The earlier bladder cancer is caught, the better chance a person has of surviving five years after being diagnosed. For bladder cancer, 33.7% are diagnosed at the local stage. The 5-year relative survival for localized bladder cancer is 70.9%.

How Common Is This Cancer?

Compared to other cancers, bladder cancer is fairly common.

Rank	Common Types of Cancer	Estimated New Cases 2023	Estimated Deaths 2023
1.	Breast Cancer (Female)	297,790	43,170
2.	Prostate Cancer	288,300	34,700
3.	Lung and Bronchus Cancer	238,340	127,070
4.	Colorectal Cancer	153,020	52,550
5.	Melanoma of the Skin	97,610	7,990
6.	Bladder Cancer	82,290	16,710
7.	Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer	81,800	14,890
8.	Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma	80,550	20,180
9.	Uterine Cancer	66,200	13,030
10.	Pancreatic Cancer	64,050	50,550

Bladder cancer represents 4.2% of all new cancer cases in the U.S.

4.2%

In 2023, it is estimated that there will be 82,290 new cases of bladder cancer and an estimated 16,710 people will die of this disease.

Who Gets This Cancer?

Bladder cancer becomes more common with age and is more common in men than women. The rate of new cases of bladder cancer was 18.2 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2016–2020 cases, age-adjusted.

Rate of New Cases per 100,000 Persons by Race/Ethnicity & Sex: Bladder Cancer

Males

All Races	31.7
Hispanic	17.0
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	21.8
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander	14.9
Non-Hispanic Black	18.8
Non-Hispanic White	37.8

Females

All Races	7.8
Hispanic	4.6
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	5.2
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander	3.4
Non-Hispanic Black	6.0
Non-Hispanic White	9.3

• All Races
• Hispanic
• Non-Hispanic American Indian/
  Alaska Native
• Non-Hispanic Asian /
  Pacific Islander
• Non-Hispanic Black
• Non-Hispanic White

SEER 22 2016–2020, Age-Adjusted

Who Dies From This Cancer?

Bladder cancer is the tenth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. The death rate was 4.2 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2016–2020 deaths, age-adjusted.

Death Rate per 100,000 Persons by Race/Ethnicity & Sex: Bladder Cancer

Males

All Races	7.1
Hispanic	3.8
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	4.3
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander	2.8
Non-Hispanic Black	5.2
Non-Hispanic White	7.9

Females

All Races	2.0
Hispanic	1.3
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	1.7
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander	0.9
Non-Hispanic Black	2.3
Non-Hispanic White	2.2

• All Races
• Hispanic
• Non-Hispanic American Indian/
  Alaska Native
• Non-Hispanic Asian /
  Pacific Islander
• Non-Hispanic Black
• Non-Hispanic White

U.S. 2016–2020, Age-Adjusted

Changes Over Time

Keeping track of new cases, deaths, and survival over time (trends) can help scientists understand whether progress is being made and where additional research is needed to address challenges, such as improving screening or finding better treatments.

Using statistical models for analysis, age-adjusted rates for new bladder cancer cases have been falling on average 1.2% each year over 2010–2019. Age-adjusted death rates have been falling on average 1.1% each year over 2011–2020. 5-year relative survival trends are shown below.

Cancer and the Bladder

Figure: Anatomy of the male urinary system (left)
and female urinary system (right)

Figure: Anatomy of the male urinary system (left) and female urinary system (right) showing the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.

The bladder is a hollow organ in the lower part of the abdomen. It is shaped like a small balloon and has a muscular wall that allows it to get larger or smaller. The urine passes from the two kidneys into the bladder through two tubes called ureters. The bladder is emptied through another tube called the urethra.

There are three types of bladder cancer that begin in cells in the lining of the bladder: transitional cell carcinoma:; squamous cell carcinoma; and adenocarcinoma.

Cancer that is confined to the lining of the bladder is called superficial bladder cancer. Cancer that begins in the transitional cells may spread through the lining of the bladder and invade the muscle wall of the bladder or spread to nearby organs and lymph nodes; this is called invasive bladder cancer.

Additional Information

• Learn more about bladder cancer

More Information

Here are some resources for learning more about bladder cancer.

• About risk factors for bladder cancer
• About symptoms and diagnosis of bladder cancer
• About treatment options for bladder cancer
• About clinical trials
• About cancer prevention
• About the health risks of smoking and ways to quit

References

All statistics in this report are based on statistics from SEER and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. Most can be found within SEER*Explorer.

Suggested Citation

All material in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.

SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Bladder Cancer. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/urinb.html