Bladder Cancer Rufus Green Jr., M.D., FACS, welcomes you to his offices on the campuses of RHD Memorial Medical Center, St. Paul Medical Center, and Medical Center of Las Colinas. You bet it is. Hematuria and frequency of urination not otherwise explained suggest a bladder tumor. Tumors of the bladder are good examples of the way in which certain chemicals cause deadly cancers in men and women. Overall, bladder cancer affects over 50,000 people annually in the United States and accounts for approximately 10,000 deaths.
Bladder cancer is primarily a disease of advanced age.
Currently the average age at diagnosis in the United States is 68. However, a significant number of persons under age 68 are affected. In men 75 years old, bladder cancer has become the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths. In addition, cigarette smoking is known to be associated with bladder cancer development. Anatomically, the bladder is a muscular sphere with a normal adult capacity of 12-16 ounces.