Bladder cancer
The terms 1 year survival and 5 year survival don't mean that you will only live for 1 or 5 years.
The NHS, other health organisations, and researchers collect information. They record what happens to people with cancer in the years after their diagnosis. 5 years is a common time point to measure survival. But some people live much longer than this.
5 year survival is the number of people who have not died from their cancer within 5 years after diagnosis.
Statistics are available for each stage of bladder cancer in England. But there are no UK-wide statistics available for different stages of bladder cancer that also include Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland. These statistics are for people diagnosed in England between 2016 and 2020.
More than 75 out of 100 people (more than 75%) survive for 5 years or more after they are diagnosed.
Stage 1 means that the cancer has started to grow into the connective tissue beneath the bladder lining.
50 out of 100 people (50%) survive for 5 years or more after diagnosis.
Stage 2 means that the cancer has grown through the connective tissue layer into the muscle of the bladder wall.
More than 40 out of 100 people (more than 40%) survive for 5 years or more after they are diagnosed.
Stage 3 means that the cancer has grown through the muscle into the fat layer. It may have spread outside the bladder to the prostate, womb or vagina.
More than 10 out of 100 people (more than 10%) will survive for 5 years or more after they are diagnosed.
Stage 4 means that the cancer has spread to the wall of the abdomen or pelvis, the or to other parts of the body. If bladder cancer does spread to another part of the body, it is most likely to go to the bones, lungs or liver.
The UK survival statistics come from England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have a similar population and health care system. So we can apply these survival statistics to the whole of the UK.
Generally for adults with bladder cancer in the UK:
more than 70 out of every 100 (more than 70%) survive their cancer for 1 year or more
around 50 out of every 100 (around 50%) survive their cancer for 5 years or more
more than 40 out of every 100 (more than 40%) survive their cancer for 10 years or more
For some cancer types, prognosis improves as time passes. For example, your chances of surviving your cancer for a total of 5 years or more after diagnosis are higher if you have already survived a year since diagnosis. Doctors call this conditional survival. It gives an updated picture of your prognosis. It takes into account how long you have already survived since diagnosis.
For people in England who survive their bladder cancer for 1 year or more after diagnosis:
almost 70 out of 100 people (almost 70%) survive their cancer for 5 years or more
Read more about conditional survival
Your outlook (prognosis) depends on whether you have:
non muscle invasive bladder cancer - the cancer is only in the lining or the connective tissue beneath the bladder lining
muscle invasive bladder cancer - the cancer has grown into a deeper (muscle) layer of the bladder, or beyond
Most bladder cancers are diagnosed when they are still only in the bladder lining. These are called non muscle invasive bladder cancers. The prognosis for non muscle invasive bladder cancers depends on several factors, including:
exactly how far the cancer cells have gone into the bladder lining
the number of tumours
how wide the tumours are
how abnormal the cancer cells look under the microscope (the grade)
whether CIS (high grade changes in the bladder lining) is present
whether this a recurrence and how often a tumour has recurred
Your doctor looks at all these factors. They use them to decide whether there is a low, medium (intermediate) or high risk of the cancer coming back or spreading into the muscle of the bladder. Your doctor will be able to tell you about your risk group and how this affects your outlook.
For muscle invasive bladder cancer, your outlook depends on the stage of your cancer. This means how far it has spread through the muscle wall, and whether it has spread into lymph nodes or to other parts of your body.
The type of bladder cancer might also affect your outlook.
Learn about the stages, types and grades of bladder cancer
Taking part in clinical trials can help to improve the outlook for people with bladder cancer.
Read about research into bladder cancer
You can read more statistics on survival rates and other factors for bladder cancer in our Cancer Statistics section.
Last reviewed: 02 Oct 2025
Next review due: 02 Oct 2028
Bladder cancer starts in the inner lining of the bladder. The bladder stores urine and is in the lower part of your tummy (abdomen).
The main type of bladder cancer is urothelial bladder cancer. The stage tells you about the size of the cancer and whether it has spread. The grade means how abnormal the cells look under the microscope.
Your treatment options depend on the stage, type and grade of your bladder cancer. Treatments include surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Researchers are looking into better ways to diagnose and treat bladder cancer. Talk to your cancer specialist if you are interested in taking part in a clinical trial.
Coping with bladder cancer can be difficult. There are things you can do to help, and people who can support you practically and emotionally.
Go to the main page to find all the information we have about bladder cancer, including tests, treatment, research and support.
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Search our clinical trials database for all cancer trials and studies recruiting in the UK.
Connect with other people affected by cancer and share your experiences.
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