“Urothelial carcinoma accounts for the vast majority of bladder cancer cases in the United States, about 90%. It is sometimes called transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) because the urothelial cells from which it develops are also known as transitional cells. This is because they may expand when the bladder is full and contract when it is empty.

These urothelial (transitional) cells line the bladder and, as more cancer cells grow, they may form a cancerous tumor.

The exact cause of bladder cancer is not known, but researchers have identified some factors that may increase a person’s lifetime risk for developing this cancer.

These risk factors may be linked to DNA changes in the body, causing mutations in the parts of cells that control growth. These mutations change how bladder cells behave, allowing them to grow abnormally, which may cause cancer cells to form.

Gene changes that occur during a person’s life sometimes happen randomly, without a known cause. Other times, exposure to chemicals that cause cancer, such as tobacco smoke, may be what prompts cells in the bladder to mutate. About 50% of people diagnosed with bladder cancer have a history of smoking.”

City of Hope (What is Bladder Cancer & Its Causes | City of Hope)