Squamous Cell Bladder Cancer: A Rare Histological Variant with a Demand for Modern Cancer Therapeutics

Bladder cancer is among the most common form of cancer worldwide and is predicted to increase in incidence and mortality over the next decade. Squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder is a rare histological variant typically associated with schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia, a parasitic infection caused by flatworms called schistosomes or blood flukes, and is generally seen in underdeveloped nations. However, squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder still represents nearly 5% of bladder cancer diagnoses in the western world. Transitional cell carcinoma is the predominant histological variant of bladder cancer found throughout the western world, and nearly all disease indicators and treatments for bladder cancer are driven by this common variant. Squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder shows characteristic features that differ from transitional cell carcinoma, such as differing levels of protein indicators and different response rates to traditional bladder cancer therapies. Common treatment methods for squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder include radical cystectomy, chemotherapies, and radiation. Reviewing the previous literature on the management of squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder, it becomes apparent that this variant needs to be treated differently than common bladder cancer variants and a proper management course needs to be set in place to maximize positive patient outcomes. Such a study will be very helpful for urologists and oncologists to manage patients with bladder squamous cell carcinoma.