RISK 1 Men who drink large amounts of fluids cut in half their risk of getting bladder cancer, according to a new study at the Howard School of Public Health.
Bladder cancer is the fourth most frequent form of cancer among men.
It appears that the fluids dilute and wash the carcinogens or cancer-causing substances out of the body quickly. The research studied 47,909 men for ten years. It found that those who drank the equivalent of ten 8-ounce glasses of fluids a day had half the bladder cancer risk of men who drank fewer than the equivalent of six glasses a day. The study found that water, coffee and alcohol beverages all appear to have a positive effect. The pioneering Framingham study, first begun in the 1940's, carefully tracks individuals over time to study risk factors in various diseases and in longevity.