OBJECTIVE: To compare 10-year overall (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) of a cohort of consecutively presenting patients with bladder cancer of all pT categories from one UK institution. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data were collected on 144 patients with newly diagnosed bladder tumours presenting from 1983 to 1985 followed up for 10 years. Histological variables were reviewed by one pathologist who had no knowledge of the clinical details. Bladder muscle was present in 95% of the transurethral resection specimens. Date and causes of death were ascertained through death certificates, primary care physicians and/or hospital case notes. Data were analysed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox model. RESULTS: There were 69 patients (48%) with pTa, 32 (22%) with pT1 and 43 (30%) with pT2/3/4 tumours. The 10-year OS was 54%, 34% and 16% and the CSS was 97%, 50% and 29%, respectively. There were only two cancer-related deaths in the pTa category whereas half the pT1 cases and half the muscle-invasive cases died within 5 and 2 years of diagnosis, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study compared the 10-year OS and CSS of a cohort of patients with bladder cancer from the UK, where such data are lacking, and showed marked differences. The CSS was higher in all pT categories compared with OS, especially within pTa cancers in which almost all patients died of competing causes. It is important to be aware of such a significant difference between the two survival measures and to use them appropriately in the right context.