Bladder Cancer / Causes & Risk Factors
Risk Factors
It is not fully understood why a cell suddenly begins to divide and replicate out of control and, as it forms a tumor, eventually invades into other tissue layers and organs. However, as investigators analyzed large groups of people with and without bladder cancer, they began to notice certain trends.
In general, bladder cancer is 3 times more common in men than in women. While it is the 4th most common cancer diagnosed in American men of all ages, it is 2nd only to prostate cancer in middle aged and elderly men.
Among the most highly recognized risk factors that predispose people to bladder cancer are certain substances specific to individual occupation and cigarette smoking. In terms of the former, aniline and acrolein dyes used in the textile and rubber industries for coloring fabrics are thought to be carcinogenic specifically to the transitional epithelium. Many feel that these exposures may account for up to 20% of bladder cancer cases in the United States.
The number of cigarettes smoked directly correlates with one's risk for developing bladder cancer. In a population of smokers, 4 times as many will have bladder cancer when compared to a similar population of non-smokers. Unfortunately, the increased risk of developing bladder cancer persists up to 20 years after the cessation of smoking. While some investigators considered coffee, tea, and artificial sweeteners as potential carcinogenic agents, consumption of these substances have not been shown to increase one's risk at developing bladder cancer.
An important question regarding any cancer is whether or not there is a hereditary cause such as a specific gene that would predispose many members in a family. Indeed, this has been shown for several types of cancers, such as breast, kidney, prostate, and colon. Nevertheless, no epidemiologic evidence exists for a hereditary cause in most cases of bladder cancer.
