Stages, types and grades of bladder cancer

There are different ways to stage bladder cancer. Your doctor might use the TNM system or number system (from 1 to 4). They may also use the terms non muscle invasive bladder cancer or muscle invasive bladder cancer.

The type of bladder cancer means the type of cell the cancer started in. Knowing this helps your doctor decide which treatment you need.

The grade of a cancer means how abnormal the cells look under the microscope. It gives doctors an idea of how the cancer might behave.

In non muscle invasive bladder cancer, the cancer cells are only in the inner lining of the bladder.

Muscle invasive bladder cancer means the cancer has spread into or through the muscle layer of the bladder.