Bladder cancer is a disease in which the human urinary bladder is severely affected. It is one of the most common types of cancer and affects thousands of men in the world. The urinary bladder of humans is a hollow organ that stores urine before micturition. It is lined by urothelial cells that mainly get affected during different types of bladder cancer. The urinary bladder is a muscular organ that can stretch and contract. Any abnormality in the tissues of the bladder causes difficulty in the normal process of urination. However, discomfort in urination might be an indication of various other diseases of the urogenital tract. The various types of bladder cancer generally affect men more than women. Although the disease is reported among older individuals, especially men near age 60, bladder cancer can affect children belonging to any age.

1. Causes
The various types of bladder cancer are caused due to a number of factors, and these factors mainly cause mutations in the urogenital cells of the bladder. This results in the uncontrollable growth of the tissue. It is caused due to

• Substance abuse or exaggerated alcohol consumption.
• Prolonged exposure to tobacco or smoking.
• Extended exposure to harmful chemicals.
• Prior case of exposure to radiation.
• Parasitic infection.
• Infection on the lining of the bladder.

2. Symptoms
The various types of bladder cancer do not often give a clear representation of symptoms and indications. In general, the symptoms are

• frequent micturition,
• pelvic or back pain,
• painful urination, and
• hematuria.

Hematuria, or blood in urine, can often go undetected under naked eyes but can be confirmed through microscopic tests.

3. Types of bladder cancer

• Transitional or Urothelial carcinoma
  It is one of the most common types of bladder cancer, which affects the urothelial cells lining the inside of the bladder, ureter, and urethra. The cells help in contraction and expansion and thus helps in releasing or storing urine. Cancer in such cells causes abnormal swelling and, thus, difficulty in containing urine for a long time.
• Squamous cell carcinoma
  This particular type of bladder cancer mostly occurs in regions wherein parasitic infection is common. It is also caused due to chronic infection or irritation in the cells or tissues of the urinary bladder. Apart from that, it can be caused due to prolonged use of catheters for urination.
• Adenocarcinoma
  Certain glands inside the urinary bladder secrete mucus. Adenocarcinoma indicates abnormal growth or cancer in such cells. This is a rare type of bladder cancer that affects more men than women. It is also one of the rarest forms of bladder cancer that do not occur generally in the country but might affect other regions of the world where health and hygiene are primary issues.

The various types of bladder cancer are known to commonly affect more people in general. Such types of cancers have been reported to affect children and adults alike. Although they cannot always be prevented, bladder cancers are easily curable via surgery, radiation or intensive chemotherapy.