Epidemiology:

• 11th most common cancer in the UK
• Bladder cancer is the second most common urological cancer.
• The most common type of bladder cancer is transitional cell bladder cancer (90%). This is also called urothelial bladder cancer. Rarer types include squamous cell bladder cancer, adenocarcinoma, sarcoma and small cell bladder cancer.
• males aged between 50 and 80 years of age

Risk factors

TCC:

• Smoking (most important R/F)
• Exposure to hydrocarbons such as 2-Naphthylamine increases the risk
• Exposure to aromatic amines
• Cyclophosphamide

SCC:

• Although rare in the UK, chronic bladder inflammation arising from Schistosomiasis infection remains a common cause of squamous cell carcinomas, in those countries where the disease is endemic.
  • In Egypt, Schistosomiasis (disease caused by parasitic worms) is more common than in the UK and may cause recurrent episodes of haematuria
• Long term catheterisation (10+ years)

Adenocarcinomas:

• Other types of bladder cancer
• Local bowel cancer

PC