Bladder cancer: a review of diagnosis and management

Bladder cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed malignancy in men and the eighth most common in women. It represents a spectrum of disease, ranging from superficial, well-differentiated disease, which does not significantly impact survival, to highly malignant tumors for which long term survival may be dismal. Transitional-cell carcinoma, which constitutes the vast majority of bladder cancers in the United States, may develop as carcinoma in situ or as invasive carcinoma. This article focuses on transitional-cell carcinoma with a review of the major aspects of the disease, including the epidemiology, diagnosis and staging, and management (including organ preservation). Therapeutic options are explored, including surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and combined modality therapy.