As a charity, we rely on volunary contributions to provide this information. Some of the possible causes of cancer of the bladder are now known, but research is going on all the time to increase our understanding of the disease. A number of factors are known to increase the risk of developing bladder cancer.
Cigarette smoking is the most important factor in the United Kingdom.
Specific chemicals that cause bladder cancer have been found in cigarette smoke. It takes a long time for the chemicals to cause bladder cancer, and the more cigarettes smoked the greater the risk. The other main cause of bladder cancer is exposure to certain chemicals at work, for example those used in dye factories, rubber, gasworks, plastics and other chemical industries. These chemicals were banned in the UK in 1967. However, it can take about 25 years after exposure to these chemicals before bladder cancers start to develop.