Everyone has had the experience of holding in urine. Unbeknownst to us, this little “vice” can damage the bladder, an important organ of the body, and even cause bladder cancer in serious cases. “But for this, most people are not aware.” Recently, many media in the United States quoted the main professor of the Institute of Urology and Minimally Invasive Urological Surgery at the University of Richmond Medical Center, saying that bladder cancer is second only to prostate cancer in the incidence of male urological tumors, and suffering from bladder cancer also increases the possibility of other cancers, so it is necessary to be highly vigilant. “Holding urine is one of the most important causes of bladder cancer.” Professor Mota said, “Carcinogenic substances in urine can attack bladder fibers and can destroy the normal structure of cells to develop malignant changes. Even if the urine is excreted every hour compared to the urine excreted two or three hours apart, the latter urine will contain much more carcinogenic substances. This means that the longer you hold your urine, the more likely you are to develop cancer, which is probably why men are much more likely to develop bladder cancer than women.” According to Mota, 99 percent of diagnosed bladder cancer patients are over the age of 55, and men are four times more likely to develop bladder cancer than women. Those who have been smoking for years should be even more aware. Bladder cancer caused by smoking has accounted for 50-60 percent of its total occurrence. And as the number of cigarettes smoked increases and the number of years smoked increases, the risk of bladder cancer also increases. Therefore, to prevent bladder cancer, the first thing is to stay away from tobacco. In addition, drinking more water and urinating more often are the best preventive measures. A 10-year follow-up study of nearly 50,000 American men aged 40-75 by Harvard researchers found that those who drank six large glasses of plain water a day had half the risk of bladder cancer than those who drank only one large glass. It is possible that the liquid will expel carcinogens from the body before they have a chance to act on the bladder, thus reducing the chance of attachment to the bladder wall. A special reminder is that water should always be boiled before drinking. When the water temperature is 90℃, the content of carcinogens fontanelle and chloroform in the water will increase, exceeding the national drinking water hygiene standards by two times; and when the water temperature reaches 100℃, these two harmful substances will be greatly reduced with the evaporation of steam and continue boiling for 3 minutes, then it is safe to drink. In addition, in terms of daily meals, people who often eat cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, cauliflower, radish, cabbage, oleander, capers and fresh fruits such as kiwi, figs, bananas and dates, will be more away from bladder cancer. “Hematuria is often the first symptom of bladder cancer.” Mota said, but there are many people who often hastily think that hematuria is caused by urinary tract infection, kidney disease, urethral stones or prostate problems, and mistakenly treat it effectively with antibacterial agents and then don’t take it seriously, thus delaying the diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, if you have unexplained hematuria, you should not take it lightly and should promptly identify the cause. “If there is also pelvic or lumbar pain, painful urination or slow urine flow, it is even more important to seek prompt medical attention.” Mota said. Currently, ultrasonography is one of the preferred non-invasive methods for initial diagnosis of bladder cancer, while cystoscopy is the most direct and sensitive diagnostic method. Bladder cancer, if detected early, can have a ten-year survival rate of up to 90 percent or more, so there is absolutely no need to worry too much.