Bladder cancer is a form of cancer that commonly begins in the cells lining the bladder, also known as transitional epithelium. As with all cancers, it can develop into a life-threatening illness - though most cases of bladder cancer (about 50%) are diagnosed at an early stage when the disease is highly treatable.

Bladder cancer is most commonly found in older people, with people over 55 making up about 90% of diagnosed cases. The average age at which bladder cancer is diagnosed is 73 years. Men are around 3-4 times more likely to develop bladder cancer than women, and the chances of a man getting bladder cancer in his life are 1 in 26 (1 in 90 for women). White people are diagnosed with bladder cancer almost twice as often as black people, however black people are more likely to have an advanced form of the cancer by the time they are diagnosed.