Metastatic bladder cancer
Metastatic bladder cancer means your cancer has spread from where it started to another part of your body. It is also called advanced cancer. You may have been diagnosed with advanced bladder cancer to start with. Or it might have come back or spread to other areas of the body after your original treatment.
Unfortunately, metastatic cancer can’t be cured. But treatments can often help control the cancer and relieve . Your doctors and nurses will help you to make the most of life and feel as good as possible, for as long as possible.
Find out about treatment for metastatic cancer
Finding out that you can’t be cured is distressing and can be a shock. It’s common to feel uncertain and anxious. It's normal to not be able to think about anything else.
Lots of information and support is available to you, your family and friends. Some people find it helpful to find out more about their cancer and the treatments they might have. Many people find that knowing more about their situation can make it easier to cope.
Talk to your doctor or specialist nurse to understand:
what your diagnosis means
what is likely to happen
what treatment is available
how treatment can help you
what the side effects of the treatment are
Your friends and relatives might be able to support you and talk to you about your cancer. Sharing can help to increase trust and support between you and make it easier to plan ahead. But some families are scared of the emotions this could bring up. So they may not want to discuss it. They might worry that you won't be able to cope with your situation.
It can strain relationships if your family or friends don't want to talk. You can help your family and friends by letting them know you would like to discuss what’s happening and how you feel.
You might find it easier to talk to someone outside your own friends and family.
Counselling might help you find ways of coping with your feelings and emotions.
Thinking about your priorities and planning what you want to do can help you to feel more in control. You might want to talk about how you want to spend your time and what is and isn’t important to you.
Some of your future plans might no longer be realistic. But you might get round to doing something you always wanted to do but weren’t able to make time for.
You can talk to your doctor about managing your treatment around your plans. Or if you can have your treatment at the same time. Your specialist nurse will be able to support you and help you arrange this.
Metastatic bladder cancer is likely to cause physical changes in your body. These might include:
changes to the way your bladder works
feeling very tired and lacking in energy a lot of the time
changes can affect your relationships
pain
Find out more about treating metastatic cancer
It is important that you feel as well as you possibly can. Tell your doctor or nurse about any symptoms you have so they can help to control them.
You might have extra expenses due to the cancer. Your specialist nurse or GP can help you get grants for heating costs, holidays or household expenses related to your illness.
Ask to see a social worker. They can let you know which benefits or grants you can claim and help with the claiming process.
Find out about money matters and cancer
You can get emotional and practical support through your hospital, local hospice and GP surgery. You can also get help from charities and support groups.
It’s natural to want to find out what is likely to happen in the last few weeks or days of life.
You might need to choose where you want to be looked after and who you want to care for you.
Read our information about dying with cancer
Last reviewed: 03 Sept 2025
Next review due: 03 Sept 2028
Bladder cancer can spread to other parts of the body. When this happens it is called metastatic or advanced bladder cancer.
You might have treatment to help with symptoms and to control the cancer. Treatments include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery.
The symptoms of metastatic or advanced bladder cancer depend on where the cancer has spread to. They might include weight loss or bone pain.
Coping with bladder cancer can be difficult. There are things you can do to help, and people who can support you practically and emotionally.
You might need some care and support at home due to bladder cancer or its treatment.
Bladder cancer is cancer that starts in the lining of the bladder. The bladder is part of the urinary system, which filters waste products out of your blood and makes urine. Find out about the symptoms, how you are diagnosed, treatment, living with bladder cancer and follow up.
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