What is the cure rate of bladder cancer

When we say someone is "cured" of a disease, it means that the disease is completely gone and will not come back. When we say someone is cured of cancer, it generally means that after a certain period of time, there is still no evidence of cancer coming back. Here is the cure rate for bladder cancer.

For most patients, bladder cancer is completely curable. Low-grade, superficial bladder cancer is, in a sense, curable when the tumor has been completely removed. Unfortunately, bladder cancer is prone to recurrence. Even though the tumor has been completely removed, new tumors may grow in the same or new locations. Therefore, regular follow-up examinations are needed after surgery. Most recurring tumors that are discovered early are still curable.
For patients whose tumors have invaded the bladder muscle layer, cure is possible. The surgeon removes part or all of the bladder, and if the tumor is completely removed, you are considered cured. Surgery can cure bladder cancer that is confined to the bladder. Unfortunately, there is no way to know if the tumor has been completely removed. The surgeon cannot know if any cancer cells have left the bladder under a microscope. In patients who are suspected of this, such as if the tumor appears at the edge of the removed tissue, further chemotherapy or radiation therapy after surgery can improve the chances of curing any small tumors that remain in the body. Patients with locally advanced bladder cancer have very low cure rates with surgery alone. Regular follow-up visits with a urologist after surgery are important to make sure the tumor has not returned.
Finally, even if the tumor has metastasized, the patient may be cured. Combination therapy of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy can currently cure a small number of such patients, and the cure rate is increasing. Most patients are sensitive to chemotherapy in the early stages of treatment. But for such patients, it is difficult to say when they are cured. Follow-up with X-rays, CT, cystoscopy, and urine cytology is still important in the few years after treatment.