Cancer of the Bladder: The Risk Factors
As is the case with other types of cancer, there are a number of key risk factors linked to cancer of the bladder. This is a form of cancer that can affect men and women, and diagnosis and treatment can be dealt with by a qualified urologist. There are various things that can increase your risk of contracting this type of cancer, so it is advisable to be aware of these. This will enable you to seek immediate help from a professional in the event you are concerned about developing bladder cancer.
What are the risk factors for Bladder Cancer?
There are a number of common risk factors that are associated with cancer of the bladder. Of course, not everyone that has these risk factors will go on to develop this or any other form of cancer. However, they do increase the risk of getting bladder cancer so you need to be aware of them. Some of the risk factors include:
- Those that smoke: People that smoke are at increased risk of a variety of different types of cancer including bladder cancer. Many people associate smoking with lung cancer, as this is one of the most common types amongst smokers. However, smokers are at increased risk of developing any cancer, so this is something to bear in mind. If you are able to give up smoking, you can quickly reduce the risks of developing cancer.
- Physical factors: There are a number of physical factors that can place you at increased risk of developing cancer of the bladder. One of these is your age, with people that are aged 40 and above being at increased risk of developing bladder cancer. In addition, if you are male you are more likely to develop this form of cancer. Bladder cancer is also more prevalent in those that are white. So, the higher risk groups are white males that are aged 40 and over.
- Exposure to certain chemicals: There are certain chemicals that are known carcinogens and these can also increase the risk of bladder cancer as well as other forms of cancer. If you have repeated or long-term exposure to these chemicals, they can make a big difference to your risk of developing cancer. When you are exposed to such chemicals the kidneys attempt to remove them from the body but to do this they have to send the chemical deposits to the bladder. This then puts the bladder at risk.