The Risk Factors for Bladder Cancer

But the most typical risk factor for bladder cancer is smoking; about 50% of bladder cancer patients are cigarette smokers. Most people associate smoking with lung cancer. The reason for that is tobacco companies put warnings on the cigarette packs about that. Bladder cancer is a very high risk as a well, but you don't see a warning. Not only is your risk higher, but your risk of reoccurence and progression is much higher if you continue to smoke.

One of the jobs of physicians is to, even if the patient has already been treated for bladder cancer, help patients quit their smoking habits. The risk of occurence and progression will continue to go up as long as they continue to smoke.

Other risk factors include work environment toxins as seen in rubber factories and in textile industries, particularly dyes and similar substances. Again, this is more likely to occur with age. Men have a greater incidence of the disease because of smoking issues. But after 50 is when doctors most frequently diagnose bladder cancer cases for both men and women. This cancer typically has no symptoms until the first symptom typically appears; having blood appear in urine.