Bladder cancer research activities have been taking place for several years now. A number of studies have already been completed but others are still on-going. Most of the studies have given very useful insights that have helped in the improvement of existing treatments as well as in the creation of newer modalities. The studies have been centred on various disease aspects that have included, among others, the causes, the precipitating factors, prevalence and incidence.
A number of risk factors have been identified. Tobacco is the main preventable risk factor that has been identified. Close to 34% of cases in women and 38% are attributable to smoking according to a study conducted in the UK as recent as 2010. The study also established that smokers are at a four-fold risk of suffering from the condition compared to non-smokers. The risk appears to be directly proportional to the length of smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked per day.
Occupational exposure as a risk factor has the subject of numerous studies. From as early as 1895, the causal effect relationship between bladder cancer aromatic amines found in dyes has been known. The first cases were reported in some European countries but the same has now been demonstrated all over the world. Occupational studies conducted in the 1950s demonstrated that benzidine and naphthylamine carry a particularly high risk.
Apart from aromatic amines a number of other carcinogens have been discovered. The chemotherapeutic agent cyclophosphamide and phenacetin are examples. Medical procedures such as irradiation of the pelvic region also contribute to some extent. Such irradiation may be required as a therapeutic measure for cervical or testicular cancers. For women that have undergone radiotherapy 40 or more years previously, the risk is about 6 times greater than it is in the general population
Positron emission tomography or PET is one of the modern investigative methods that have been developed. In this treatment, images of internal organs are easily visualised and the site of disease identified. Typically a radioactive substance is injected into the body and through the blood stream it is absorbed by virtually all organs. Cancerous cells absorb more than other cells. A special scanner is then used to identify these cells.
The prevalence and incidence vary from one geographical location to another. They are also influenced by gender and ethnicity. In the UK, 5% of cancers are those of the bladder and in females this figure is at 2%. This makes it the seventh most common among males and eleventh most common among female patients. In 2010 close to 10,000 new cases were reported.
The mortality rate is still high in many places. In the UK, statistics indicate that about 3000 men and 1500 women die every year. Majority of these patients are those that fall in the advanced age groups due to the aggressive nature of the disease. Fortunately the general trend has been a gradual decrease in these rates over the last few decades.
Bladder cancer research has been a very important step towards finding a solution to this problem. It has led to the development of newer treatment techniques and better preventive measures. The important thing is to ensure that unpublished studies are identified and published. Those that are not completed for one reason or another should be brought to completion.
A number of risk factors have been identified. Tobacco is the main preventable risk factor that has been identified. Close to 34% of cases in women and 38% are attributable to smoking according to a study conducted in the UK as recent as 2010. The study also established that smokers are at a four-fold risk of suffering from the condition compared to non-smokers. The risk appears to be directly proportional to the length of smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked per day.
Occupational exposure as a risk factor has the subject of numerous studies. From as early as 1895, the causal effect relationship between bladder cancer aromatic amines found in dyes has been known. The first cases were reported in some European countries but the same has now been demonstrated all over the world. Occupational studies conducted in the 1950s demonstrated that benzidine and naphthylamine carry a particularly high risk.
Apart from aromatic amines a number of other carcinogens have been discovered. The chemotherapeutic agent cyclophosphamide and phenacetin are examples. Medical procedures such as irradiation of the pelvic region also contribute to some extent. Such irradiation may be required as a therapeutic measure for cervical or testicular cancers. For women that have undergone radiotherapy 40 or more years previously, the risk is about 6 times greater than it is in the general population
Positron emission tomography or PET is one of the modern investigative methods that have been developed. In this treatment, images of internal organs are easily visualised and the site of disease identified. Typically a radioactive substance is injected into the body and through the blood stream it is absorbed by virtually all organs. Cancerous cells absorb more than other cells. A special scanner is then used to identify these cells.
The prevalence and incidence vary from one geographical location to another. They are also influenced by gender and ethnicity. In the UK, 5% of cancers are those of the bladder and in females this figure is at 2%. This makes it the seventh most common among males and eleventh most common among female patients. In 2010 close to 10,000 new cases were reported.
The mortality rate is still high in many places. In the UK, statistics indicate that about 3000 men and 1500 women die every year. Majority of these patients are those that fall in the advanced age groups due to the aggressive nature of the disease. Fortunately the general trend has been a gradual decrease in these rates over the last few decades.
Bladder cancer research has been a very important step towards finding a solution to this problem. It has led to the development of newer treatment techniques and better preventive measures. The important thing is to ensure that unpublished studies are identified and published. Those that are not completed for one reason or another should be brought to completion.
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