How dangerous is bladder cancer?

Depends: There are various grades of bladder cancer to determine how aggressive the cancer is. Cancers that are very aggressive and multifocal tend to be much more dangerous than other types of bladder that are more similar to normal bladder cells. If these very aggressive tumors are not treated appropriately, they tend to metastasize and spread over time. Once this occurs, the long term prognosis is poor.

Bladder cancer: Although often treatable by cystoscopic resection, it can result in metastasis and death just like any cancer. Removal of the bladder is sometimes necessary for tumor invading deep into the bladder wall.

Varies: Some bladder cancers are highly aggressive and can result in patient death, especially those that invade the muscle of the bladder or metastasize to lymph nodes. However other bladder cancers are noninvasive and low grade. These tend to recur in the bladder but often do not kill the patient if they are managed appropriately.