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.
Besides the aromatic amines, there are a number of other medicines, medical procedures and conditions that have been shown to increase the risk. Phenacetin and cyclophosphamide are some of the well known carcinogens. The medical procedure that causes the highest risk is irradiation of the pelvic organs which is often required in treatment of testicular cancer and cervical cancer. In some studies, the risk has been shown to be increased up to 6 times.
Positron emission tomography, PET has emerged as one of the most effective investigative procedures. Typically, a radioactive dye is injected into the body through blood vessels. The dye is absorbed by almost all organs in the body. Tissues that have cancer tend to take more dye than the normal tissues. A special scanner is used to accurately locate these tissues.
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.
Statistics on mortality are not encouraging. In the United Kingdom about 3000 male patients succumb every year while about 1500 women suffer the same fate. The mortality rate is highest among the advanced age groups. The encouraging thing is that the figure has gone done greatly over the last several decades.
Bladder cancer research continues to contribute greatly to better management strategies for the affected persons. Although many studies have been done so far, a good number of them remain unpublished and efforts should be made to ensure that this is done. Those that have remained stalled due to lack of funding should be completed as well.
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.
Besides the aromatic amines, there are a number of other medicines, medical procedures and conditions that have been shown to increase the risk. Phenacetin and cyclophosphamide are some of the well known carcinogens. The medical procedure that causes the highest risk is irradiation of the pelvic organs which is often required in treatment of testicular cancer and cervical cancer. In some studies, the risk has been shown to be increased up to 6 times.
Positron emission tomography, PET has emerged as one of the most effective investigative procedures. Typically, a radioactive dye is injected into the body through blood vessels. The dye is absorbed by almost all organs in the body. Tissues that have cancer tend to take more dye than the normal tissues. A special scanner is used to accurately locate these tissues.
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.
Statistics on mortality are not encouraging. In the United Kingdom about 3000 male patients succumb every year while about 1500 women suffer the same fate. The mortality rate is highest among the advanced age groups. The encouraging thing is that the figure has gone done greatly over the last several decades.
Bladder cancer research continues to contribute greatly to better management strategies for the affected persons. Although many studies have been done so far, a good number of them remain unpublished and efforts should be made to ensure that this is done. Those that have remained stalled due to lack of funding should be completed as well.
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