Just as there is a physical boundary between organs in the body, there are also boundaries within the organ itself. The bladder wall has several tissue layers- the transitional epithelium, the muscular layer, and the fat layer-each separated from one another by fibrous bands known as connective tissue. Once the abnormally replicating cells making up a tumor penetrate into a different layer-say epithelial cells growing into the muscle layer- invasion has taken place. In addition, these cells can invade into blood vessels, which can carry them to distant organs where they can grow into new tumors, or metastases. In bladder cancer, the most common cell type to become a cancer is the transitional epithelial cell, designated as transitional cell carcinoma or TCC.
More than 90% of bladder cancers are derived from the transitional epithelium and are thus called transitional cell carcinoma(TCC).
Here at Brady Urology, our physicians offer a comprehensive approach to cancer treatment both clinically and in the form of cutting edge research being done in the field.
For more information, please visit http://www.cornellurology.com/cornell/bladder
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