Are there more than one different kinds of bladder cancer, and can bladder biopsies tell them apart?

Yes: Yes, there are different types of bladder cancer. Each has it own type of risk factor and even may appear differently on cystoscopy when visualized. These cancers can mimic benign conditions especially in the face of other conditions such as infection, bladder stones, trauma, etc. However, a bladder biopsy can differentiate these lesions from one another to facilitate the appropriate management.

Yes: By far the most common type in the us is urothelial or transitional cell cancer. Squamous cell cancers are sometimes seen often related to chronic infection or foreign bodies. Rarer still are small cell or neuroendocrine cancers. Usually bladder cancers can be differentiated on biopsy but occasionally it can be hard to differentiate the types microscopically.