Cancer that occurs in the bladder lining or tissues and muscles surrounding the bladder is called Bladder Cancer. Men are affected 3 times more than women as per the statistics of National Institutes of Health.
There are 3 types of bladder cancer:
- Transitional Cell Carcinoma: Transitional cells are cells that change their shape when the bladder is stretched. (When bladder is filled with urine). These cells get back to their original size once the bladder is emptied. Transitional cells are present in the inner layers of the bladder. Transitional Cell Carcinoma affects these cells.
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma: If the bladder is infected for long periods or gets irritated due to various reasons, the squamous cells in the bladder turn cancerous.
- Adenocarcinoma: Similar to the squamous cell carcinoma, grandular cells in the bladder turns cancerous due to long term infection or irriatation. This condition is called as Adenocarcinoma. Glandular cells make up the mucus-secreting glands in the body.