A bladder tumor is the excess growth of cells that line the inside of the bladder. A tumor may be either cancerous or noncancerous. A noncancerous tumor is usually a small, wartlike growth that does not spread. If it is a cancerous tumor, the cancer cells may spread to the bladder wall or to other organs through the bloodstream.
Bladder cancer affects men three times as often as women.
Bladder tumors are the second most frequent tumor of the reproductive and urinary tracts, after prostate tumor. Bladder tumors are most likely to develop in white men over the age of 50. In many cases, bladder tumors occur when the cells lining the urinary tract are exposed to chemicals known to cause cancer. To diagnose a tumor in the bladder, the doctor will give you a physical exam and review your symptoms. The doctor may do a cystoscopy.