Urology and nephrology update: bladder and kidney cancer

It has been estimated that bladder and kidney cancers would be diagnosed in approximately 140,000 Americans in 2013, with approximately 30,000 dying from these cancers. Urinary tract cancers affect men more commonly than they do women, and the median age at diagnosis is 65 years. Major risk factors for these cancers include tobacco smoking, certain chemical exposures, family history, age, and obesity. Unexplained hematuria in adults should be evaluated to exclude bladder and kidney cancer. Staging of bladder and kidney cancer should be based on the TNM staging system, which, along with tumor grade, provides important treatment and prognostic information. Urothelial cell carcinoma is the most common type of bladder cancer; it also can occur in the kidneys or ureters. Renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer. Treatment options for bladder cancer vary widely, depending on the grade of the cancer. Early non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer may be removed cystoscopically and/or treated with intravesical immunotherapy or chemotherapy, whereas patients with muscle-invasive bladder tumors typically require surgery. Management of kidney cancer is almost always surgical, unless the patient is too ill to undergo surgery or chooses palliative care.