Bladder Cancer Awareness Month: Understanding Risk for Earlier Detection

In conjunction with Bladder Cancer Awareness Month, here are some facts about the disease to help raise awareness on the risks and preventative actions to take.

Bladder cancer is a disease that represents 4.6% of all new cancer cases in the United States, according to data from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The earlier bladder cancer is detected, the better chance a person has of surviving the disease.

Smoking cessation is one way to reduce your risk of bladder cancer. One study found that postmenopausal women demonstrated a significant reduction in their risk for the disease after quitting smoking.

While the average age at diagnosis for bladder cancer is 73, the risk for developing the disease increases with age. Additionally, a woman’s age at menopause may affect her risk — researchers found that women who went into menopause before 45 years of age were at a higher risk for bladder cancer than women who experienced it later.

There are also different subtypes of bladder cancer, which means there is not a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to treating advanced bladder cancer, according to researchers at Baylor College of Medicine. Genomic profiling may translate to personalized treatment for these subtypes.

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