However, most people with these risk factors do not get cancer, and many people who do get bladder cancer have none of the known risk factors. Researchers have found that white people in the United States get bladder cancer twice as often as African-Americans, and men are affected about three times as often as women. People with family members who have bladder cancer may be more likely to get the disease as well. Most bladder cancers occur after the age of 55, but the disease can also develop in younger people. This is a major risk factor.
Cigarette smokers develop bladder cancer two to three times more often than do nonsmokers.
Quitting smoking reduces the risk of bladder cancer, lung cancer, and several other types of cancer, as well as a number of other diseases. Workers in some occupations are at higher risk of getting bladder cancer because of exposure to carcinogens in the workplace. Increased risk is seen in people in the rubber, chemical, and leather industries, as well as in hairdressers, machinists, metal workers, printers, painters, textile workers, and truck drivers. People who think they may be at risk for developing bladder cancer should discuss this concern with their doctor. The doctor may suggest ways to reduce the risk and can plan an appropriate schedule for checkups.