What Is Urachal Cancer?

Urachal carcinoma is an uncommon type of bladder cancer. At the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, one of the largest centers in the world, only 42 cases of urachal carcinoma were seen during a 16-year period. It affects men and women equally, although patients are usually younger than most bladder cancer patients. It is a cancer that arises at the dome (top) of the bladder where the urachal ligament attaches, connecting the bladder to the umbilicus (navel).

It usually is not picked up until it is relatively advanced, making it much harder to treat than more common types of bladder cancer. Twenty percent of patients will have metastases when first identified, and almost all will have tumors invading surrounding organs. Eventually, approximately half of all patients develop metastases.