What is the long-term prognosis for people with bladder cancer?

What is the long-term prognosis for people with bladder cancer?

The prognosis for bladder cancer is similar to the prognosis for any cancer. A lot of it is dependant on the extent of the cancer when it's first diagnosed, what we would call the stage of the cancer at diagnosis, and the grade of the tumor at diagnosis. As is true for most cancers, patients with low grade, low stage tumors tend to do better than patients with high grade, high stage tumors. Earlier diagnosis is preferred to late diagnosis. Patients with low stage, low grade, low risk bladder cancer tend to do very well with regular checkups, routine surveillance, occasional installation of chemotherapeutic or biologic agents into the bladder - their prognosis at five years is in the 95% range. For patients with intermediate or high risk tumor who have a five year prognosis, it is lower than that, in the 70% range. Patients who present with high grade bladder cancer who require sysectimay, and even who require addition of either radiation or chemotherapy, do much worse and generally have a prognosis under 50%, in the 40 to 45 percent range.