What Is High Grade Urothelial Carcinoma?
Urothelial carcinoma-also called transitional cell carcinoma-is a form of cancer that begins in the cells that line the bladder. When cells of this cancer show certain structural changes, they are classified as high-grade.
The Facts
According to the American Cancer Society, urothelial carcinoma accounts for more than 97 percent of all bladder cancers.
High-Grade Urothelial Carcinoma
Cancer specialists (oncologists) split urothelial carcinomas into two categories. Low-grade carcinomas have cells that look similar to normal cells, while high-grade carcinomas have cells that show serious abnormalities, according to the ACS.
Growth Rate and Danger
Typically, high-grade urothelial carcinomas grow relatively quickly and present a greater cancer danger than low-grade carcinomas.
Additional Factors
In addition to classifying carcinomas as high- or low-grade, oncologists predict the seriousness of each case by determining whether it has spread to (invaded) other layers of bladder tissue. As a rule, invasive cancers pose more health problems and treatment difficulties. Both high- and low-grade carcinomas can be invasive.
Invasive Urothelial Carcinomas
Invasive urothelial carcinomas may spread from the bladder lining to the bladder muscle as well as to associated lymph nodes and nearby organs, according to the National Cancer Institute.
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