Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes and StagesSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosisCoping
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types and Stages
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prognosis
Coping
Papillary urothelial carcinoma(more commonly referred to as transitional cell cancer) is a type ofbladder cancer. It begins in the urothelial cells located on the surface of the bladder’s inner lining.
Urothelial cells are found throughout the urinary tract. Papillary urothelial carcinomas have the appearance of fingerlike protrusions that grow from the bladder’s inner lining toward its center. They can be invasive or noninvasive.
The bladder is part of the urinary tract. It is a hollow organ located in the lower pelvis. The bladder’s job is to store urine until you are ready to urinate. It has muscular walls that expand to hold urine and contract to release it. Urine exits the bladder through theurethra.
This article will discuss the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of papillary urothelial carcinoma. It will also provide information about the prognosis for this condition.
Drazen Zigic / Getty Images
Types and Stages of Papillary Urothelial Carcinoma
Papillary urothelial carcinoma can be invasive or noninvasive, as follows:
Tumor Stage (T)
Nodal Stage (N)
Metastatic Stage (M)
The metastatic stage is based on how much cancer has spread to distant lymph nodes or organs, such as the liver or lungs, as follows:
Papillary Urothelial Carcinoma Symptoms
Early symptoms of papillary urothelial carcinoma include:
If you have advanced papillary urothelial carcinoma, you may also experience these symptoms:
Papillary urothelial carcinoma begins when the urothelial cells that line the inside of the bladder develop genetic changes, called mutations, in their DNA. The mutated cells live longer than they should and multiply rapidly. This causes a tumor to form. It’s not completely understood why these cell changes take place.
Risk factors are not causes. However, they may help predict your likelihood of getting a certain condition. Not everyone who has a risk factor for papillary urothelial carcinoma will get this disease. Genetics and a family history of bladder cancer may, in some instances, increase your risk. Other potential risk factors include:
Smoking
The chemicals in cigarettes, vaping, pipes, and cigars can accumulate in urine, causing damage to the endothelial lining of the bladder. Smoking causes around half of all bladder cancers. If you smoke, you are 3 times more likely to get bladder cancer than someone who doesn’t smoke.
Exposure to Carcinogens in the Environment
Certain professions require that workers are consistently exposed to toxins in the air or in smoke. As with tobacco smoke, these toxins can accumulate in urine, causing damage to the bladder’s endothelial lining. High-risk categories include:
Age, Sex, and Ethnicity
There are certain factors out of your control that increase the likelihood of getting this disease. They include:
White people are more often diagnosed with this cancer than other groups in the United States.
Prior Bladder Conditions
Certain health conditions that affect the bladder may increase your risk for papillary urothelial carcinoma and other types of bladder cancer. They include:
Medications and Treatments
Certain treatments for cancer may increase your risk of papillary urothelial carcinoma. These include taking Cytoxan (cyclophosphamide), a chemotherapy drug, for an extended period of time. Radiation treatments to the pelvis may also increase risk.
High doses of Actos (pioglitazone), a diabetes medication, have also been linked to bladder cancer.
To get a diagnosis of papillary urothelial carcinoma, your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms, family history, and lifestyle. They may do adigital rectal examorpelvic (vaginal) examto see if a bladder tumor can be felt manually.
Additional tests include:
If papillary urinary carcinoma or another type of bladder cancer is suspected, you will need additional tests. They include:
The stage of your cancer and extent of spread will impact the treatment or treatments used. They include:
It’s important to remember that survival rates are estimates. They’re also based on the experiences of people who were diagnosed at least five years earlier. Five-year survival rates don’t take new treatments or current clinical trials into account.
The five-year survival rate for papillary urothelial carcinoma and other types of bladder cancer are:
If you have just gotten a diagnosis of papillary urothelial carcinoma, you may be concerned about the treatments you’ll undergo and your prognosis. It can be hard to cope with this new process. These coping strategies may help:
Summary
Papillary urothelial carcinoma is a common form of bladder cancer. It may be invasive or noninvasive. Smoking is a risk factor for this disease. Seeing blood in your urine is a common early symptom.
A Word From Verywell
If you’re experiencing early warning signs for papillary urothelial carcinoma, see a healthcare provider as soon as possible. Many symptoms of this and other forms of bladder cancer are associated with other conditions that are easy to treat.
If you have cancer, early detection and fast treatment can save your life. It’s OK to be scared. Even so, don’t delay in seeking out a diagnosis.
16 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Cancer Society.What is bladder cancer?American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer stages.American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer signs and symptoms.American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer risk factors.American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer risk factors.Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network.Firefighters and bladder cancer.Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network.Veterans and bladder cancer.Food and Drug Administration.FDA drug safety communication: update to ongoing safety review of Actos (pioglitazone) and increased risk of bladder cancerAmerican Cancer Society.Tests for bladder cancer.American Cancer Society.Treating bladder cancer.American Cancer Society.Intravesical therapy for bladder cancer.American Cancer Society.Chemotherapy for bladder cancer.American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer surgery.American Cancer Society.Immunotherapy for bladder cancer.National Cancer Institute.Carcinoma in situ.American Cancer Society.Survival rates for bladder cancer.
16 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Cancer Society.What is bladder cancer?American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer stages.American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer signs and symptoms.American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer risk factors.American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer risk factors.Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network.Firefighters and bladder cancer.Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network.Veterans and bladder cancer.Food and Drug Administration.FDA drug safety communication: update to ongoing safety review of Actos (pioglitazone) and increased risk of bladder cancerAmerican Cancer Society.Tests for bladder cancer.American Cancer Society.Treating bladder cancer.American Cancer Society.Intravesical therapy for bladder cancer.American Cancer Society.Chemotherapy for bladder cancer.American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer surgery.American Cancer Society.Immunotherapy for bladder cancer.National Cancer Institute.Carcinoma in situ.American Cancer Society.Survival rates for bladder cancer.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Cancer Society.What is bladder cancer?American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer stages.American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer signs and symptoms.American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer risk factors.American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer risk factors.Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network.Firefighters and bladder cancer.Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network.Veterans and bladder cancer.Food and Drug Administration.FDA drug safety communication: update to ongoing safety review of Actos (pioglitazone) and increased risk of bladder cancerAmerican Cancer Society.Tests for bladder cancer.American Cancer Society.Treating bladder cancer.American Cancer Society.Intravesical therapy for bladder cancer.American Cancer Society.Chemotherapy for bladder cancer.American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer surgery.American Cancer Society.Immunotherapy for bladder cancer.National Cancer Institute.Carcinoma in situ.American Cancer Society.Survival rates for bladder cancer.
American Cancer Society.What is bladder cancer?
American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer stages.
American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer signs and symptoms.
American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer risk factors.
Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network.Firefighters and bladder cancer.
Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network.Veterans and bladder cancer.
Food and Drug Administration.FDA drug safety communication: update to ongoing safety review of Actos (pioglitazone) and increased risk of bladder cancer
American Cancer Society.Tests for bladder cancer.
American Cancer Society.Treating bladder cancer.
American Cancer Society.Intravesical therapy for bladder cancer.
American Cancer Society.Chemotherapy for bladder cancer.
American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer surgery.
American Cancer Society.Immunotherapy for bladder cancer.
National Cancer Institute.Carcinoma in situ.
American Cancer Society.Survival rates for bladder cancer.
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