Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder: Radiologic Perspective

Bladder cancer is a relatively common cancer type, with a high recurrence rate, that can be often encountered in the imaging study. Accurate diagnosis and staging have a significant impact on determining treatment and evaluating prognosis. Bladder cancer has been evaluated by transurethral resection of bladder tumor for clinical staging and treatment, but it is often understaged when compared with final pathologic result by radical cystectomy. If the location, size, presence of muscle invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and presence of upper urinary tract cancer can be accurately diagnosed and evaluated in an imaging study, it can be treated and managed more appropriately. For an accurate diagnosis, radiologists who evaluate the images must be aware of the characteristics of bladder cancer as well as its types, imaging techniques, and limitations of imaging studies. Recent developments in MRI with functional imaging have improved the quality of bladder imaging and the evaluation of cancer. In addition, the Vesical Imaging Reporting and Data System was published to objectively assess the possibility for muscle invasion of cancer. Radiologists need to know the types of bladder cancer treatment and how to evaluate the changes after treatment. In this article, the characteristics of bladder urothelial carcinoma, various imaging studies, and findings are reviewed