Stages, types and grades of bladder cancer
The stage of bladder cancer tells you how big it is an whether it has spread. There are different ways of staging bladder cancer. There is the TNM system and the number staging system. The number staging system includes 4 stages – from stage 1 to stage 4.
Another way doctors may describe your cancer is:
- 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
The type tells you which type of cell the cancer started in. The grade means how abnormal the cells look under the microscope.
Stages of bladder cancer
There are different ways to stage bladder cancer. Your doctor might use the TNM system or number stages.
Types of 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.
Grades of bladder cancer
Cancer cells are split into grades depending on what they look like under the microscope. The grade gives doctors an idea of how the cancer might behave.
Non muscle invasive bladder cancer staging
In non muscle invasive bladder cancer, the cancer cells are only in the inner lining of the bladder.
Muscle invasive bladder cancer staging
Muscle invasive bladder cancer means the cancer has spread into or through the muscle layer of the bladder.
