What are the characteristics of bladder cancer in men? When it comes to oncological diseases of the genitourinary system in men, more attention is paid to prostate cancer or testicular cancer. What many people don’t realize is that another form of malignancy—bladder cancer—is the fourth leading malignancy in men, far outstripping testicular cancer by about six to one. Symptoms of bladder cancer are often confused with other diseases and can include hematuria (blood in the urine) and frequent urination. If the disease is diagnosed early, the success rate of treatment, which may include surgery, chemotherapy or immunotherapy, is high. Considering also that cancer recurrences (reoccurrence) are common. What types of bladder cancer affect men? The most common bladder cancer is transitional cell carcinoma, also known as urothelial carcinoma. This type of bladder cancer is limited to the innermost lining of the bladder (known as transitional epithelium). Because transitional epithelium is only a few cells thick, catching cancer at this early stage—when it’s considered noninvasive—means high rates of treatment success. While 70% of bladder cancers are confined to the transitional epithelium, others invade deeper into the bladder wall. Those involving the underlying layer of cells called the lamina propria are called non-muscle invasive carcinomas. Those that invade even deeper into the muscles of the bladder wall are classified as muscle-invasive carcinomas. Once cancer has spread (metastasized) beyond the boundaries of the bladder—most commonly to the lymph nodes, bones, lungs, liver, or peritoneum—it becomes more difficult to treat and control. In addition to urothelial carcinoma, other, less common types of bladder cancer in men include adenocarcinomas, small cell carcinomas, and sarcomas. These cancers are considered uncommon and each account for 1% or less of all bladder cancer cases in men. What are the symptoms of bladder cancer in men? Bladder cancer is often painless. The most significant sign of malignancy is blood in the urine visible to the naked eye (known as gross hematuria or macroscopic hematuria), or blood in the urine detected by blood or imaging tests (microscopic hematuria). Bleeding can be constant or intermittent. Although blood in the urine can be a worrisome symptom, it does not directly indicate the presence of cancer, nor does it predict the severity of the malignancy. Signs and symptoms of bladder cancer can vary depending on the size and location of the tumor, as well as the stage of the disease. In addition to bleeding, other symptoms may include:Constant urge to urinate (urgent urination); Frequent urination; Back or abdominal pain; Loss of appetite; Unexplained Weight Loss References: 1. American Cancer Society. What is Bladder Cancer? 2. Harvard Medical School. Bladder cancer: Men at risk. 3. American Cancer Society. Bladder Cancer Signs and Symptoms. 4. Lotan Y, Choueiri TK. Patient education: Bladder cancer diagnosis and staging (Beyond the Basics) 5. Verywell Health. Bladder Cancer in Men Symptoms and Diagnosis