Bladder Cancer
Cancer of the tract in dogs can affect the kidneys, ureters, bladder, prostate, or urethra. within the urogenital system, the bladder is affected with cancer most ordinarily. Compared to cancer in other locations within the body, bladder cancer is unusual, comprising 1-2% of all cancers within the dog.
The most common cancer of the dog bladder is invasive transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of intermediate to high grade. TCC may be a malignant neoplasm that develops from the transitional epithelial cells that line the bladder. In dogs, this tumor invades into the deeper layers of the bladder wall including the bladder muscles. Canine TCC also has the power to spread to lymph nodes and to other organs within the body (lung, liver, and other sites). TCC most often is found within the bladder, but also can develop within the kidneys, ureters, prostate, and urethra. It also can spread from the bladder into neighboring organs. As a side note: 80% of humans with bladder cancer have a lower grade, less invasive sort of TCC, but dogs and cats rarely get this less aggressive sort of cancer.
