Worldwide, bladder cancer ranks as the fourth most common solid tumor in men and the seventh most common in women, with more than 350,000 new bladder cancer patients diagnosed each year. In China, bladder cancer is still the most common urological malignancy, with a standardized incidence rate of 4.0/100,000 for men and 1.5/100,000 for women in 2005. In recent years, the incidence rate of bladder cancer in some cities in China has shown a trend of steady increase. The preferred age of bladder cancer is 51-70 years old.
The development of bladder cancer is a multifactorial mixture, multi-gene involvement and multi-step formation process. The accumulation of abnormal genotypes coupled with the external environment eventually leads to the emergence of malignant phenotype. More than 80% of bladder cancer cases are associated with carcinogenic risk factors.
Smoking and occupational exposure to aromatic amines are well established risk factors for bladder cancer. The risk of bladder cancer in smokers is two to four times higher than that in nonsmokers, and the risk is related to the number of cigarettes smoked, the duration and the degree of inhalation. About half of all bladder cancers in Western countries are associated with smoking. The specific carcinogens in tobacco that cause bladder cancer have not been identified, and studies have shown that the presence of nitrosamines, 2-naphthylamines, and p-aminobiphenyl in smoke increases the urinary tryptophan metabolites in smokers. Certain occupations such as workers involved in the production of aromatic amines, dyes, rubber, aluminum, and leather, painters, and frequent users of dyes can increase the risk of bladder cancer, one of the main reasons being exposure to aromatic amines such as 2-naphthylamine and benzidine.
In addition to the above two factors, other risk factors associated with the development of bladder cancer include: 1, carcinogens in drinking water, drinking tap water disinfected by chlorine and containing chlorinated byproducts can increase the risk of bladder cancer; arsenic contamination in drinking water in Taiwan and Argentina, South America is also associated with increased risk of bladder cancer.
2, coffee, coffee drinkers have a higher risk of bladder cancer than non-drinkers, but there is no dose and time trend between the two, the results of epidemiological studies have ruled out a strong correlation between coffee and bladder cancer, but do not rule out the correlation between the two.
3.Urinary tract diseases, chronic stimulation of urethral epithelium or human metabolites increase the level of carcinogens in urine for a long time, which can make the urethral epithelium proliferate and then become cancerous, for example, squamous bladder cancer is related to Schistosoma egypti infection or bladder stones.
4.Drugs, large amounts of painkillers containing finasteride can increase the risk of bladder cancer, and the drug is currently off the market. The risk of bladder cancer can be increased several times in patients with lymphoma treated with cyclophosphamide, and the tumor is often infiltrative.
Artificial sweeteners, studies in the late 1970s reported that sweeteners could increase the risk of bladder cancer in men by 60%, but subsequent studies have failed to confirm the correlation, so currently the International Agency for Research on Cancer no longer includes sweeteners as carcinogens of human bladder cancer.
Family history, the risk of bladder cancer in the immediate family of bladder cancer patients is about twice that of those without a family history, and the risk is higher in the immediate family of young bladder cancer patients. In addition, some studies have shown that a high intake of fluids, vegetables and fruits can reduce the risk of bladder cancer. The main risk factors for bladder cancer in our population are smoking, occupational exposure to aromatic amines, family history of bladder cancer, alcohol and coffee consumption, and gender.
When patients experience the occurrence of hematuria, bladder irritation (urinary frequency, urinary urgency, urinary pain) or urinary flow obstruction symptoms, please go to regular hospitals for examination and treatment in a timely manner.