Bladder cancer is one of the more common diseases treated by urologists.
They exhibit the entire spectrum of aggressiveness, from virtually benign superficial tumors, to highly malignant aggressive tumors. Approximately 54,300 new cases of bladder cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2001. This cancer is approximately 3 times more common among men than women. It is estimated that approximately 12,400 bladder cancer deaths will occur in 2001. Although bladder cancer can occur at any age, it is generally a disease of the elderly, with a median age of diagnosis being approximately 68.