Bladder cancer: ESMO Clinical Practice Guideline for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up

Abstract

Urothelial carcinoma (UC), also described as bladder cancer, is the 10th most common cancer type worldwide, with an estimated 549 000 new cases and 200 000 deaths in 2018. The highest incidence rates in Europe are observed in Southern Europe, e.g. Greece (5800 new cases and 1537 deaths in 2018), Spain and Italy, and Western Europe, e.g. Belgium and the Netherlands.1 The most important risk factor for developing bladder cancer is tobacco smoking, which accounts for ∼50% of cases,2 followed by occupational exposure to aromatic amines and ionising radiation.