Bladder cancer is the fifth most frequently diagnosed cancer in Spain, after colorectal, breast, lung, and prostate cancers. According to figures compiled by the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) , more than 22.000 cases of bladder cancer were detected in Spain last year. It occurs most often in men over 40, although cases also appear in younger people.
Age, smoking, and exposure to industrial paints, dyes, aluminum, oil, and rubber, among others, are risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing bladder cancer. Smoking is the cause of 50% of cases, as it leads to the accumulation of harmful chemicals in the urine that can damage the lining of the bladder, increasing the risk of cancer.
In Spain, one in five people smokes daily, and although smoking is the main risk factor for bladder cancer, the population is still not aware of this relationship, unlike what happens with lung cancer.
On the other hand, patients with chronic catheterization or bladder stones may have an increased incidence of bladder cancer. In these cases, the tumors are usually of the squamous cell type, which is caused by a foreign body inside the bladder. The presence of this foreign body creates a state of chronic stress for the urothelial cells, which normally line the bladder. This situation causes these cells to differentiate into the squamous cell type as a response to the stress, and this can lead to a tumor if uncontrolled growth occurs after differentiation.
Because symptoms, especially hematuria (blood in the urine), often appear early, most bladder cancers are diagnosed at an early stage, before the cancer has infiltrated the bladder muscle (non-muscle-invasive) and is highly treatable. However, even after treatment at an early stage, bladder cancer tends to recur over time. For this reason, it is important to undergo lifelong follow-up tests to detect bladder cancer recurrence early.
As long as the cancer does not infiltrate the muscle there is no risk of metastasis, but if this invasion occurs, the prognosis is serious since even with radical surgery and chemotherapy, the 5-year survival rate may be less than 50% depending on how advanced the cancer is.
Fortunately, as we mentioned earlier, bladder cancer often presents early warning signs, such as blood in the urine (hematuria), pain when urinating, or urinary urgency. If you experience any of these symptoms, it is important to consult your doctor or urologist.
