Urinary Bladder Anatomical sites of the urinary bladder. Compton, C.C., Byrd, D.R., et al., Editors. AJCC CancerStaging Atlas, 2nd Edition. New York: Springer, ©American Joint Committee on Cancer

Urinary Bladder Regional lymph nodes of the urinary bladder. The true pelvis is the primary lymphatic drainage area for the urinary bladder. The secondary drainage area superior to the true pelvis includes the common iliac nodes and all nodes up to the level of the aortic bifurcation. Compton, C.C., Byrd, D.R., et al., Editors. AJCC CancerStaging Atlas, 2nd Edition. New York: Springer, ©American Joint Committee on Cancer

Urinary Bladder Illustration of the definitions of primary tumor (T) for primary bladder cancer, ranging from Ta to T4. Ta is defined as noninvasive papillary carcinoma. Tis is defined as carcinoma in situ. T1 is defined as tumor that invades subepithelial connective tissue. T2a is defined as tumor that invades superficial muscularis propria (inner half). T2b is defined as tumor that invades deep muscularis propria (outer half). T3a is defined as tumor that microscopically invades perivesical fat. T3b is defined as tumor that macroscopically invades perivesical fat. T4a is defined as tumor that invades the prostatic stroma, the uterus, or the vagina. T4b is defined as tumor that invades the pelvic wall or abdominal wall. Compton, C.C., Byrd, D.R., et al., Editors. AJCC CancerStaging Atlas, 2nd Edition. New York: Springer, ©American Joint Committee on Cancer

Urinary Bladder N1 is defined as metastasis in a single lymph node in the true pelvis (hypogastric, obturator, external iliac, or presacral lymph node). Compton, C.C., Byrd, D.R., et al., Editors. AJCC CancerStaging Atlas, 2nd Edition. New York: Springer, ©American Joint Committee on Cancer

Urinary Bladder N2 is defined as metastasis in multiple regional lymph nodes in the true pelvis (hypogastric, obturator, external iliac, or presacral lymph node metastases). Compton, C.C., Byrd, D.R., et al., Editors. AJCC CancerStaging Atlas, 2nd Edition. New York: Springer, ©American Joint Committee on Cancer

Urinary Bladder N3 is defined as lymph node metastasis to the common iliac lymph node(s) in the secondary drainage area. Compton, C.C., Byrd, D.R., et al., Editors. AJCC CancerStaging Atlas, 2nd Edition. New York: Springer, ©American Joint Committee on Cancer