Hello. I'm Doctor Clayton Hess, founder of CureRays Radiation Medicine. Let me walk you through this page: Keep Bladder Cancer Away®. Half of all bladder cancers are found while still confined to the lining, where 5-year relative survival is about 98%. The reason so many are caught early is simple and unglamorous: they bleed, and someone took that seriously. Here is what you'll find on this page. Who is at risk. Smoking is the single biggest cause — chemicals are filtered by the kidneys and sit in contact with the bladder lining. It accounts for roughly half of cases; Workplace chemicals — aromatic amines in dye, rubber, leather, paint and printing work. Risk can appear decades after exposure; Age and sex — most common after 55, and about four times more common in men. Finding it early. Blood in the urine is the symptom that matters, and the one most often explained away. How it’s diagnosed. Cystoscopy is the definitive test: a thin camera passed into the bladder, usually under local anaesthetic, which sees the lining directly. Here is what you can do next. Go deeper on bladder cancer. Read the full plain-language guide, or ask us about bladder-preserving treatment. Look for the button marked Full bladder cancer guide. You can always reach our Grass Valley office at 5 3 0. 8 0 2. 6 4 0 0. This page is informational only. It is not medical advice — please confirm anything here with your care team. --- PRONUNCIATION KEY (not spoken) --- CureRays -> CURE-rays