Relationship Between Bladder Cancer And Smoking

Bladder Cancer And Smoking

The bladder is an internal organ where the urine from the kidneys is stored and discharged voluntarily. It is the urine reservoir of the urinary system. Malignant masses of this organ are called bladder cancer. Bladder cancer is 2-3 times more common in men than women. It is the number 7 most common type of cancer in the world. It manifests itself with painless and clot-free bleeding in the urine, mostly in people over 50. At the time of diagnosis, the disease has advanced to the deep layers of the bladder in 25% of the patients. The most common type is transitional epithelial cell tumor of the bladder.

Smoking As A Risk Factor In Bladder Cancer

The most important risk factor for bladder cancer is smoking. 59-60% of bladder cancer patients are smokers. Especially polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aromatic amines, nicotine and other numerous toxic substances in cigarettes accumulate in the bladder and cause abnormal and uncontrolled growth in cells. According to studies, the positive relationship between bladder cancer and smoking is as pronounced as the relationship between smoking and lung cancer. In some cases, this relationship is even greater. The amount and duration of cigarettes consumed also affect the formation of bladder cancer. A person who smokes 1 pack a day for 20 years has a high probability of developing bladder cancer. The more time and the more cigarettes smoked, the greater the risk. The low nicotine and tar ratio in cigarettes or the preference of a light cigarette brand do not reduce the development of cancer. Besides cigarettes, a significant relationship with bladder cancer has been found in tobacco products such as hookah, cigars, etc. With the quiting of smoking, the risk begins to decrease over the years, but the risk never completely disappears.

Smoking not only plays a role in the development of cancer, but also poses serious problems in the treatment of bladder cancer. The probability of recurrence of the disease is very high in people who continue to smoke during the treatment period.

Bladder cancer is only one of the millions of harms caused by smoking. Treatment of bladder cancer is laborious and requires a long process. In the disease that has progressed to the deep layers, it is necessary to remove the bladder and make a new bladder from the intestine. Therefore, it is important to prevent this cancer as well as to treat it.

Smoking is an enemy of our health that we reveal with our own hands. If you want to be protected from bladder cancer, my recommendation is that you never start smoking and if you do, you should quit immediately and you should not be in environments with cigarette smoke. Protecting your health is up to you.