Once you have been diagnosed with bladder cancer, your physician may order other diagnostic tests to see if the cancer has spread to other regions in your body. Bladder cancer is divided into stages depending on your tumor progression.

Stages of Bladder Cancer:

Stage 0: The cancer is only found on the inner lining of the bladder and has not invaded the muscle or connective tissue

Stage I: The cancer has grown in the inner lining of the bladder and in the lamina propria

Stage II: The cancer has grown into the muscle wall of the bladder and is now muscle-invasive cancer

Stage III:

Stage IIIA:

• The cancer has grown from the muscle of the bladder into the surrounding tissue and may have spread to reproductive organs
• The cancer has grown from the muscle of the bladder to one lymph node in the pelvis

Stage IIIB:

• The cancer has grown from the muscle of the bladder to more than one lymph node in the pelvis

Stage IV:

Stage IVA:

• The cancer has grown from the bladder to the wall of the pelvis or abdomen
• The cancer has grown to the lymph nodes

Stage IVB: The cancer has spread from the bladder to other parts of the body