Bladder cancer is a common malignancy that develops in the lining of the bladder. The most typical presenting symptom is painless hematuria (blood in the urine). Major risk factors include smoking and exposure to certain industrial chemicals.

Diagnosis requires prompt evaluation, usually with imaging studies and cystoscopy to directly visualize the bladder. Treatment depends on the stage of the disease. Non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer is often managed with transurethral resection followed by intravesical therapy such as BCG immunotherapy, while muscle-invasive disease typically requires more aggressive approaches, including surgery (such as cystectomy), chemotherapy, and sometimes radiation therapy.