Bladder Cancer Stages 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, Grades and TNM System (2024)

FAQs

What is the TNM staging system for bladder cancer? ›

The TNM staging system is the most common way that doctors stage bladder cancer. TNM stands for Tumour, Node, Metastasis. Doctors may also use a number staging system, but this is less common for bladder cancer. Your doctor may use other terms to describe your bladder cancer stage.

Stage I through Stage III are for cancers that haven't spread beyond the primary tumor site or have only spread to nearby tissue. The higher the stage number, the larger the tumor and the more it has spread. Stage IV cancer has spread to distant areas of the body.

grade 1 – the cancer cells look very similar to normal bladder cells, they are usually slow-growing and are less likely to spread. grade 2 – the cancer cells look less like normal cells and are slightly faster growing. grade 3 – the cancer cells look very different to normal cells and usually grow more quickly.

Stage I means the cancer is small and only in one area. This is also called early-stage cancer. Stage II and III mean the cancer is larger and has grown into nearby tissues or lymph nodes. Stage IV means the cancer has spread to other parts of your body.

Grade 3. The cancer cells look very abnormal. They are called high grade or poorly differentiated. They grow more quickly and are more likely to come back after treatment or spread into the deeper (muscle) layer of the bladder.

Stage 0 bladder cancer refers to noninvasive bladder cancer. This means that cancer cells are found in tissue lining the inside of the bladder but have not invaded the bladder wall. Stage 0 is divided into stages 0a and 0is, depending on the type of tumor.

Number staging system

stage 1 – the cancer is small and hasn't spread anywhere else. stage 2 – the cancer has grown, but hasn't spread. stage 3 – the cancer is larger and may have spread to the surrounding tissues and/or the lymph nodes (or "glands", part of the immune system)

Stage I: The cancer is localized to a small area and hasn't spread to lymph nodes or other tissues. Stage II: The cancer has grown, but it hasn't spread. Stage III: The cancer has grown larger and has possibly spread to lymph nodes or other tissues. Stage IV: The cancer has spread to other organs or areas of your body.

Tumor grade is not the same thing as cancer stage. Stage refers to how large a cancer tumor is and how far the cancer has spread. See Cancer Staging to learn more.

In general, bladder cancers that are muscle invasive and/or have high-grade cells are the most serious and aggressive. The less common types of bladder cancer such as squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and small cell carcinoma have a greater tendency to be muscle invasive compared to urothelial carcinoma.

What is the most aggressive type of bladder cancer? ›

Muscle invasive bladder cancer

This means it has grown into a deeper (muscle) layer of the bladder, or beyond. Muscle invasive bladder cancer needs more intensive treatment than non muscle invasive bladder cancer. This is because there is a risk that it could spread to other parts of the body.

Bladder cancers are either low-grade or high-grade. Low-grade bladder cancer cells grow more slowly and are less likely to invade the bladder's muscular wall. High-grade bladder cancer cells grow aggressively and may be more likely to spread to the bladder wall and other tissues and organs.

Grade 3 and stage 3 cancer are not the same. Staging and grading cancer use different criteria to evaluate treatment options. Staging is an important factor in determining cancer treatment options, since it establishes the tumor's size and spread within the body. Staging is used for most cancers, but not all.

Although the overall prognosis may be poor based on cases with previous patients and older treatments, many patients with stage 4 cancer can live for years. A few factors to keep in mind: Many treatments are available to help fight cancer.

Stage 4 cancer is not always terminal. It is usually advanced and requires more aggressive treatment. Terminal cancer refers to cancer that is not curable and eventually results in death. Some may refer to it as end stage cancer.

T1: The tumor has spread to the connective tissue (called the lamina propria) that separates the lining of the bladder from the muscles beneath, but it does not involve the bladder wall muscle. T2: The tumor has spread to the muscle of the bladder wall.

In the TNM system, the overall stage is determined after the cancer is assigned a letter or number to describe the tumor (T), node (N), and metastasis (M) categories. T describes the original (primary) tumor. N tells whether the cancer has spread to the nearby lymph nodes.

CONCLUSIONS: Larger tumor size (>5 cm) is associated with greater length of stay, reoperation, readmission, and death following TURBT. Patients should be counseled appropriately and likely warrant vigilant observation prior to and following hospital discharge.