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Bladder cancer research has greatly helped the medical community in the formulation of treatment modalities for affected persons. Not only have more effective drugs been developed, but preventive measures have also been put in place for persons that are at risk of developing the condition. The main areas that have been focussed in the studies include the prevalence, incidence, causes and precipitating factors.
Research has revealed that a number of factors act as risk factors of developing the cancer. Smoking has stood as the biggest risk factor contributing to about 38% of the cases in men and about 34% in women. These results are from a study published in the United Kingdom in 2010. Smoking increases the risk of getting the cancer about four times. The started also found out that the risk is highest in persons that have been smoking for many years and the heavy smokers.
Occupational exposure also carries a fair share as a contributing risk factor. The earliest cases to be reported were in 1895 in some European countries for workers in dye industries. The cause and effect relationship between aromatic amines and bladder cancer has now been demonstrated in many other countries all over the world. The amines that carry the greatest risk are benzidine and naphthylamine.
There are several medicines, medical conditions and irradiation procedures that also serve as risk factors other than the aromatic amines. Phenacetin and cyclophosphamide, a chemotherapeutic agent, are some well known carcinogens. Irradiation of the pelvic region during treatment of cervical and testicular cancers in women and men respectively may also be a predisposing factor. The risk is as high as 6 times according to some studies.
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.
Both the incidence and prevalence is fairly high. Statistics vary between countries and over time. In the UK it represents about 5% of all cancer cases in males and 2% in females. It is the seventh commonest in males and eleventh commonest in females. In 2010 just over 10, 000 new cases were reported of which three quarters affected males. The statistics are not very different from what is seen in the rest of the European continent.
In terms of mortality, recent statistics in the UK show that about 3000 male patients lose their lives per year while the women affected are about half this number. The mortality rate increases with advancing age due to more aggressive disease. There has been a huge drop in mortality rates over the last few decades. It is reported that the number of deaths per year has dropped by up to 60% within the last 40 years.
Bladder cancer research has been a very important step towards finding a solution to this problem. It has led to the development of newer treatment techniques and better preventive measures. The important thing is to ensure that unpublished studies are identified and published. Those that are not completed for one reason or another should be brought to completion.
Research has revealed that a number of factors act as risk factors of developing the cancer. Smoking has stood as the biggest risk factor contributing to about 38% of the cases in men and about 34% in women. These results are from a study published in the United Kingdom in 2010. Smoking increases the risk of getting the cancer about four times. The started also found out that the risk is highest in persons that have been smoking for many years and the heavy smokers.
Occupational exposure also carries a fair share as a contributing risk factor. The earliest cases to be reported were in 1895 in some European countries for workers in dye industries. The cause and effect relationship between aromatic amines and bladder cancer has now been demonstrated in many other countries all over the world. The amines that carry the greatest risk are benzidine and naphthylamine.
There are several medicines, medical conditions and irradiation procedures that also serve as risk factors other than the aromatic amines. Phenacetin and cyclophosphamide, a chemotherapeutic agent, are some well known carcinogens. Irradiation of the pelvic region during treatment of cervical and testicular cancers in women and men respectively may also be a predisposing factor. The risk is as high as 6 times according to some studies.
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.
Both the incidence and prevalence is fairly high. Statistics vary between countries and over time. In the UK it represents about 5% of all cancer cases in males and 2% in females. It is the seventh commonest in males and eleventh commonest in females. In 2010 just over 10, 000 new cases were reported of which three quarters affected males. The statistics are not very different from what is seen in the rest of the European continent.
In terms of mortality, recent statistics in the UK show that about 3000 male patients lose their lives per year while the women affected are about half this number. The mortality rate increases with advancing age due to more aggressive disease. There has been a huge drop in mortality rates over the last few decades. It is reported that the number of deaths per year has dropped by up to 60% within the last 40 years.
Bladder cancer research has been a very important step towards finding a solution to this problem. It has led to the development of newer treatment techniques and better preventive measures. The important thing is to ensure that unpublished studies are identified and published. Those that are not completed for one reason or another should be brought to completion.
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