• Bladder cancer is primarily a disease in the elderly, who represent one of the fastest growing segments of the population. Prior studies have indicated that the majority of elderly patients with clinically localized muscle invasive bladder cancer do not undergo radical cystectomy as recommended by evidence-based guidelines.

Does bladder cancer spread quickly?

High grade bladder cancer is likely to grow and spread quickly and become life threatening. High-grade cancers often need to be treated with chemotherapy, radiation or surgery. Low-grade cancers appear non-aggressive and have a low chance of becoming high grade.

How long do you have to live with bladder cancer?

The 5-year survival rate tells you what percent of people live at least 5 years after the cancer is found. Percent means how many out of 100. The general 5-year survival rate for people with bladder cancer is 77%. The overall 10-year survival rate is 70% and the overall 15-year survival rate is 65%.

What are the final stages of bladder cancer?

The signs and symptoms of bladder cancer that has spread to other parts of the body include: tiredness or weakness . pain when urinating. difficulty urinating or inability to urinate.

Does cancer progress more slowly in the elderly?

The old idea that cancer is less aggressive in the elderly is not entirely without merit: breast and prostate cancers tend to grow more slowly in older patients. But other types—colon and bladder cancer and certain leukemias, for example—are usually more aggressive and harder to treat.

Can you have bladder cancer for years and not know it?

Even after reporting the problem to their doctors, blood in the urine may be initially misdiagnosed as a symptom of post-menopausal bleeding, simple cystitis or as a urinary tract infection. As a result, a bladder cancer diagnosis can be overlooked for a year or more.

Is there pain with bladder cancer?

Early-stage bladder cancer doesn’t usually cause pain or other symptoms besides bleeding. But blood in the urine doesn’t always mean there is a tumor in the bladder . It’s more likely to be caused by a less serious condition, such as an infection. Changes in urination may be another early sign of bladder cancer .

Where does bladder cancer spread first?

Bladder cancer can spread this way. If it does, it usually first spreads to the lymph nodes in the pelvis, surrounding the bladder (called perivesicular lymph nodes ). From there, it can spread to lymph nodes that are close to major blood vessels that run into the leg and pelvis.

Is bladder cancer an aggressive cancer?

This is always a high-grade cancer (see “Grades,” below) and is considered an aggressive disease because it can often lead to muscle-invasive disease. Stage I: The cancer has grown through the inner lining of the bladder and into the lamina propria.

Is bladder cancer curable if caught early?

Bladder cancer is usually treatable when caught at an early stage but more challenging to address when found later. Recurrence also poses a risk, even with early -stage tumors , so regular surveillance is essential following treatment or surgery.

What is the most aggressive type of bladder cancer?

Muscle invasive bladder cancer is a serious and more advanced stage of bladder cancer . MIBC is when the cancer has grown far into the wall of the bladder (Stages T2 and beyond). For patients with MIBC, the overall prognosis (how the disease may progress) has not changed in the last 30 years.

What is the most aggressive form of bladder cancer?

Small Cell Carcinoma of the Bladder This aggressive form of the disease begins in small nerve-like cells in the bladder called neuroendocrine cells. Small cell carcinoma makes up about 1 percent of bladder cancers. It is often detected at an advanced stage, after it has spread to other parts of the body.

What are the symptoms of stage 2 bladder cancer?

Symptoms of stage 2 bladder cancer may also include: frequent urination . feeling like you have to urinate even when you don’t. inability to urinate. pelvic pain . back pain . loss of appetite .

How long can an elderly person live with pancreatic cancer?

Results: Overall median survival was 6.2 months. Patients who underwent surgical therapy had the best median survival rate of 26.5 months, followed by patients receiving chemotherapy (6.6 months), chemoradiotherapy (5.7 months) and best supportive care (3.4 months).

Should an 80 year old have chemo?

First, there is no reason to deny older people adequate cancer therapy — surgery, chemotherapy , radiation — based on age alone. Individualization is critical; one size does not fit all! While one 80 – year – old may tolerate a standard course of chemotherapy perfectly well, the next may not.

What is the most common cancer in elderly?

The most common cancers in the elderly are: Breast Cancer , Prostate Cancer , Lung Cancer , and Bowel Cancer .