Age can affect bladder cancer survival, with older age typically associated with reduced survival rates. Other factors impacting bladder cancer survival can include the cancer’s stage and grade and your overall health.
Bladder cancer begins in your bladder, the hollow organ in your pelvis that holds urine until it can be released from your body during urination.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), bladder cancer makes up about
The risk of bladder cancer goes up as you get older. Additionally, age is also a factor that can impact bladder cancer survival.
Keep reading below to discover more about bladder cancer survival rates by age.
Your risk of bladder cancer goes up as you get older. In fact,
According to the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance,
Your age can also impact bladder cancer survival. Generally speaking, people diagnosed with bladder cancer at an older age have both a
The table below breaks down the 5-year relative survival rates for bladder by age between 2014 and 2020
| Age at diagnosis | 5-year relative survival rate |
| under 15 | 91.9% |
| ages 15 to 39 | 89.1% |
| ages 40 to 64 | 82.5% |
| ages 65 to 74 | 80.7% |
| ages 75+ | 72.4% |
| all ages | 78.4% |
A 5-year relative survival rate estimates the percentage of people with a certain type of cancer who are alive 5 years after diagnosis as compared to people who do not have that type of cancer. It includes many people over many years and doesn’t take individual factors like overall health into account.
Bladder cancer stats
Researchers estimate that there will be
Bladder cancer is more common in men than in women. The ACS notes that the lifetime risk of bladder cancer is
Smoking is a major risk factor for bladder cancer. In fact, researchers estimate that
In addition to age, there are a variety of other factors that can
- Cancer type: Some types of bladder cancer may be more aggressive or harder to treat than others.
- Stage: Stage measures how far the cancer has spread at diagnosis, including if the cancer has spread deeper into the bladder wall. A higher stage means the cancer has spread further and is typically associated with a worse outlook.
- Grade: The grade of the cancer is a measure of how abnormal the cancer cells look under a microscope. It’s used to estimate how aggressive a cancer may be. Higher-grade tumors are typically more aggressive.
- Tumor size or quantity: Having a large tumor or many tumors may make your cancer more challenging to treat.
- Overall health: Having other underlying health conditions can potentially impact your bladder cancer outlook.
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Language matters
You’ll notice we use the binary terms male, female, men, and women in this article. While we realize this term may not match your gender experience, these are the terms used by the researchers whose data was cited. We try to be as specific as possible when reporting on research participants and clinical findings.
The studies and surveys referenced in this article didn’t report data for or may not have had participants who are transgender, nonbinary, gender nonconforming, genderqueer, agender, or genderless.
The recommended treatment of bladder cancer can depend on many of the factors we’ve already discussed above, such as the cancer’s stage, grade, and size, and quantity of tumors. Your personal preference also plays a role.
The potential treatments for bladder cancer can include:
- Surgery: Surgery aims to remove the cancer. Surgeries for bladder cancer can range from transurethral resection to the removal of some or all of the bladder.
- Intravesical therapy: Intravesical therapy involves introducing chemotherapy or immunotherapy drugs directly into the bladder to help treat the cancer.
- Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy uses drugs that affect the growth and division of cells.
- Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy uses high energy radiation to kill cancer cells.
- Targeted therapy: Targeted therapy drugs target specific markers associated with cancer cells.
- Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy helps your immune system to better respond to the cancer.
It’s likely that you’ll receive a combination of different treatments for your bladder cancer. For example, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or both are often used after surgery to help kill any remaining cancer cells.
The outlook for bladder cancer can depend on many different factors, such as its type, stage, and grade. Additional factors like the type of treatment used and how the cancer responds to it can also play a role.
The table below shows the 5-year relative survival rates for bladder cancer by stage 2014 to 2020,
| Bladder cancer stage | 5-year relative survival rate |
| has not spread deeper into the bladder wall (in situ) | 97.2% |
| only in the bladder | 71.7% |
| has spread to nearby tissues or lymph nodes | 39.5% |
| has spread distantly (metastasized) | 8.8% |
| overall | 78.4% |
It’s important to note that no two people with bladder cancer are the same. If you’ve been diagnosed with bladder cancer, be sure to have an open discussion with your care team about your individual outlook.
How long can I live after being diagnosed with bladder cancer?
There’s no hard and fast answer to this question. Survival after a bladder cancer diagnosis can depend on many individual factors, like your cancer’s stage and grade, how it responds to treatment, and your age and overall health.
Can you fully recover from bladder cancer?
Yes. It’s possible for bladder cancer to be
Is stage 4 bladder cancer terminal?
Not always. Terminal cancer is when cancer can no longer be managed with treatment and will eventually lead to death. Some stage 4 bladder cancer may still be controlled with treatment, while others may be terminal.
While people of any age can develop bladder cancer, most people are diagnosed at an older age. Generally speaking, bladder cancer survival decreases with increasing age.
Other factors can also impact bladder cancer survival. These include the cancer’s stage and grade, the size and number of tumors, and overall health.
Overall, the outlook for bladder cancer is better when it’s diagnosed and treated early. It’s important to see your doctor if you have symptoms of bladder cancer, like blood in your urine, frequent or painful urination, and unintended weight loss.