Current Smokers Diagnosed with Bladder Cancer Earlier

Int J Urol. 2009:16:64-69

Bladder cancer is diagnosed about six years earlier in current smokers than in current nonsmokers, according to Japanese investigators.

Shiro Hinotsu, MD, of the University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba City, Japan, and colleagues studied 5,959 bladder cancer patients (4,728 men and 1,231 women), dividing the group according to smoking status: current nonsmokers, current smokers, and unknown smoking history.

Compared with current nonsmokers, bladder cancer onset occurred 6.1 and 5.9 years earlier in male and female current smokers, respectively. In addition, at the time of diagnosis, tumor stage was significantly higher among current smokers, who also tended to have larger tumor size.

From the March 01, 2009 Issue of Renal and Urology News