My Journey Through Bladder Cancer

I’ll take you through my diagnosis, immunotherapy treatment with BCG, and how I managed the stress of the ordeal.

Image courtesy of Southwest Urology, modified by the author

According to the World Cancer Research Fund International, bladder cancer ranks 10th globally and 6th among men, with a higher incidence in men than women. Approximately 90% of cases occur in individuals aged 55 and older, with an average diagnosis age of 73. Even after tumor removal, up to 50% of patients with bladder cancer will have a recurrence of cancer within a year.

In 2023, the American Cancer Society projects 82,290 new cases (62,420 in men, 19,870 in women) and 16,710 deaths (12,160 in men, 4,550 in women) due to bladder cancer.

Types of bladder cancer

1. Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (NMIBC) constitutes 70% — 75% of cases, where cancer cells may have penetrated the bladder’s inner layers but they haven’t invaded the muscle.
2. Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (MIBC) is the most severe, often requiring surgery to remove the bladder as cancer cells have penetrated the muscle and possibly the fat layers.

Risk Factors

1. Cigarette Smoke: Smoking increases the likelihood of bladder cancer 2–4 times.