Bladder Cancer Risk Factors
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Urea and other waste products filtered out by the kidneys are mixed with excess water and stored in the bladder, a balloon-like muscular organ. When you're ready to go to the bathroom, your brain sends a signal to your bladder, causing it to contract and squeeze the urine out through the urethra. A healthy bladder can usually hold about 2 cups (16 ounces) of urine for a couple of hours.
Transitional cells make up the tissue that lines the bladder. These cells allow the tissue to stretch and shrink, making it possible for the bladder to expand when it is full and contract when it empties. Most bladder cancers develop in these cells and are called transitional cell carcinomas.
Risk Factors of Bladder Cancer
White men have the highest bladder cancer risk, but there are many known risk factors that may affect anyone. Some of the risk factors are manageable; that is, making certain lifestyle choices may reduce your likelihood of developing this disease. The known risk factors for bladder cancer are:
- Smoking - The carcinogens found in cigarettes are filtered out of the blood by the kidneys and end up in the urine that is stored in the bladder. These carcinogens may damage the cells lining the bladder, doubling the risk of bladder cancer for people who smoke.
- Ageing - Bladder cancer rarely develops in people younger than 45 years of age. The majority of cases occur in people over the age of 65.
- Exposure to chemicals at home or in the workplace - Arsenic in drinking water, either at home or in the workplace, has been linked to bladder cancer. Workers in certain dye or textile industries may also be exposed to a class of chemicals known as aromatic amines, which may cause bladder cancer.
- Schistosoma hematobium - People who have had a chronic infection by a particular blood parasite, schistosoma hematobium, may be at an increased risk for squamous cell carcinomas to develop in the bladder. This parasite is usually found in Africa, the Middle East and Western Asia.
- Chronic bladder inflammation or infection - Chronic infections or inflammation of the bladder are associated with an increased rate of squamous cell bladder cancers.
- Personal history of cancer treatment - High doses of chemotherapy drugs may irritate the bladder and increase the risk of cancer. Radiation treatments in the pelvic region may also increase an individual's likelihood of developing bladder cancer.
- Inherited factors and bladder birth defects - Some inherited genetic defects may make some people more prone to bladder cancer. Cowden disease and Lynch syndrome (hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer or HNPCC) are caused by inherited genetic mutations and may increase the risk of certain types of cancer, including bladder cancer. A rare type of bladder birth defect may also increase the risk of adenocarcinomas of the bladder.
Talk to your doctor if Lynch syndrome (also commonly referred to as HNPCC) or bladder cancers run in your family. However, only a small number of bladder cancer cases are found to be related to genetic factors. Smoking is by far the greatest risk factor for bladder cancer.
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