Bladder Cancer Prevention

And while rates of the disease have decreased since the late 2000s, survival rates have mostly held steady. That’s why bladder cancer prevention remains key to surviving the disease. And the first step is understanding what causes bladder cancer.

The bladder is a hollow, flexible organ in the pelvis that receives and holds urine from the kidneys until excretion. It’s essentially a muscle that expands and contracts to squeeze urine out of the body through the urethra. Almost all bladder cancers begin in the inner lining of the bladder called the urothelium. Such cancers are called urothelial carcinomas or transitional cell carcinomas. Other, rare forms of bladder cancer include squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, small cell carcinoma and sarcoma.

The number one cause of all bladder cancers is tobacco use, and specifically smoking. In fact, about half of the more than 80,000 cases of bladder cancer diagnosed each year can be attributed to tobacco. And the risk is cumulative, meaning the more tobacco you use, the higher your risk. Quitting as soon as possible can protect you from bladder cancer as well as lung, esophageal and other cancers.

Other bladder cancer risk factors include:

• Workplace exposure. Certain chemicals are known to increase a person’s risk for bladder cancer. People who work around dyes, rubber, leather, textiles and paint are more likely to be diagnosed with bladder cancer than people who work in other industries.
• Age. Your risk of bladder cancer increases with age. More than 90% of bladder cancers are diagnosed in people 55 and older.
• Taking pioglitazone.  The diabetes medication pioglitazone (sold under the brand name Actos) is associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer. And it appears that the risk is cumulative, meaning the higher the dose, the higher the risk.
• Not drinking enough fluids. There’s evidence that drinking plenty of water can protect you from developing bladder cancer.
• Sex. Males are much more likely than females to develop bladder cancer in their lifetime.
• Race. Bladder cancer affects non-Hispanic white populations at about twice the rate as Black and Hispanic populations.
• Chronic bladder irritation. People with a history of chronic urinary infections, kidney and bladder stones, and bladder catheterization are more likely to develop bladder cancer than others.
• Personal history of certain cancers. Your risk for bladder cancer goes up if you’ve ever been diagnosed with urothelial carcinoma in other places in the urinary tract, including the kidneys, ureters or urethra. Being treated with certain types of chemotherapy and radiation to the pelvis also increases risk.
• Family history of bladder cancer. Having close relatives with bladder cancer increases your risk for the disease either because you share environmental risk factors, such as smoking or because you have an inherited genetic syndrome that increases your likelihood of developing the disease. Such genetic conditions include retinoblastoma, Cowden disease and Lynch syndrome.

At least half of all bladder cancers are preventable, which means it’s possible to reduce your risk by making lifestyle changes. Follow these bladder cancer prevention guidelines:

• Quit all forms of smoking, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars and pipes.
• Limit workplace exposure to chemicals and follow all occupational safety protocols.
• Drink plenty of liquids each day, especially water.
• Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.